Westmoreland County In-Home Drug and Alcohol Program

SERVICES
Auberle has an Agreement with Westmoreland County and Value Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania to provide drug and alcohol outpatient services to children/adolescents who are involved with Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau and/or Westmoreland County Juvenile Probation in the home of the child/adolescent. The services that are provided under the Agreement include diagnostic evaluation, individual psychotherapy, family psychotherapy, and pharmacological management. Drug testing and reporting results are also provided. When children or adolescents served by Auberle require drug and alcohol services that are more intensive than outpatient services, Auberle makes referrals to appropriate organizations in Westmoreland County that can provide more intensive services. Auberle also works closely with the Westmoreland Drug and Alcohol Commission, the Single County Authority (SCA) for substance abuse services in Westmoreland County to assure children and adolescents are receiving necessary treatment.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS & METHODOLOGY
Children and adolescents referred for service are assessed as to the degree of substance use by Auberle’s Drug and Alcohol Therapist through a child and family interview and through use of assessment instruments including the Substance Abuse Screening Instrument, Short Michigan Alcohol Screening Test, Chemical Dependency Evaluation Test, Consequences of Use Checklist, and Pennsylvania Client Placement Criteria. The two primary modes of treatment are individual and family therapy in the home. The primary treatment modality used is Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Frequency of sessions and length of service depends on specific needs of individual clients.

The success of the program is determined by length of stay, recidivism and attendance. Random urine screens are given to measure recidivism. Persons complete a questionnaire, How I Think About Drugs and Alcohol, at intake, every 4 months and discharge. The questionnaire reports their abuse and dependence on drugs and/ or alcohol. Aftercare surveys are sent out at 6 months and 1 year after discharge to track long-term success.