Council on Alcoholism and Addictions of Finger Lakes

Council on Alcoholism and Addictions of Finger Lakes is an outpatient youth substance abuse counseling program based in Watkins Glen, New York. Their goal is to reduce substance use in Schuyler County through education, prevention, awareness and counseling.

Their youth counseling program is designed for students who need support but don’t meet the qualifications to see a school social worker or psychologist. The youth counselors create a safe space for children to talk about their problems. These could be related to school or home life.

The youth who participate are typically at high risk of developing substance abuse problems. They either see a lot of alcohol or drug use at home, or they’ve already used substances themselves. Through individual and group sessions the youth counselors encourage adolescents to open up about their struggles and come up with realistic plans to avoid substance use.

The youth program sometimes uses EBP Teen Intervene. This is a crisis management program designed to quickly stabilize and support teenagers. This program only requires three sessions. During each session the youth counselor works with the teen to develop short term goals to manage their behavior and build a better future for themselves.