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New
Perspectives -
Feb, 2001 Issue #78
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THE HOUSE OF HOPE
Teen Recovery Center
(La Casa de la Esperanza)
Ensenada, Mexico Don Lewis, Director
Dongene2000@hotmail.com
(011) 52-61-78-0195
(San Ysidro, CA office
714-957-5758)
[New Perspective] The House of Hope offers a 12-step program for young men with drug and alcohol problems and related issues. While they do have capabilities of medically supervised detoxification, the major portion of the program involves dealing with long-term issues of drug dependency. The average length of stay is six months. The program, which is “based on the principles of the Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous programs,” also integrates cognitive and behavioral therapy with the 12-step approach. Their days are filled with activities ranging from recreation in between academic classes, classes on addiction and alcoholism, group and individual counseling, and a 12 step meeting each night. It is based on spiritual principles rather than an a specific religious doctrine and individual choices for church attendance include Catholic, Jewish, Christian, Latter Day Saint, or other religions services. Director, Don Lewis, is a graduate from West Point and holds several degrees including a graduate degree in Counseling Psychology. After time in the military service, he started working with teens in trouble. The program is housed in a large home in a residential neighborhood in Ensenada, Mexico. Lewis is anxious to run a program that conforms to the standards and expectations of state side programs. The tuition is kept low in order to provide a program that is affordable to middle class families, which is made possible by the lower costs of living in Mexico. Part of the program involves weekly outings which enable the students to interact with local citizens and be exposed to their customs, history, and language.
This article copyright ©
1999-2001, Woodbury Reports, Inc. (This article may be reproduced without prior approval if the copyright notice and proper publication and author attribution accompanies the copy.)
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