In Balance Continuum is proud to announce that it is expanding its services to include a much-needed program for youth seeking the highest quality of care post-primary treatment: In Balance Adolescent Transitional Living. In order to understand the significance of this program, it’s important to know that In Balance has always been committed when seeing a need in the community, understanding that need, and finding a solution.  

Founded in 1996 in the community of Tucson, Arizona, In Balance got its start as a much-needed intensive outpatient program for adolescents.  Based on the requests of many of that group’s young people asking for help for their parents, an adult program was started in 1998.

From there In Balance’s leadership recognized that some young people (and their families) needed a higher level of care.  Armed with the research-based knowledge that longer-term treatment provided better outcomes, In Balance Academy was born in 2004.  Further recognizing that, for some of those young people graduating from the Academy, their hometown was not a safe place to continue their journey of recovery from mental health struggles and substance abuse, in 2006 In Balance Transitional Living was opened.  

This program was launched so that young adults could pursue their life — getting jobs, going to college, undertaking adulthood — while entering the promises of recovery after their hard work in primary treatment.  In 2017, the Young Adult Transitional Living Program expanded and In Balance opened a Collegiate Living Program.  This program met the needs of university students who were not receiving substantial enough support services as they tried to continue their lives in recovery at a major university.

In the past two years though, In Balance has seen greater instances of admits who are entering long-term treatment closer to 14 and 15 years old. Parents are becoming more aware, earlier, of the devastating effects of the pandemic on their child’s mental health and development.  Just like their older counterparts, some of these young people need a transitional living experience after primary treatment.  And this has inspired In Balance to open the Adolescent Transitional Living (ATL) Program.

Patrick Barrasso, Founder, Owner, and CEO of In Balance recognized that many adolescents leaving primary care or residential boarding school settings still need the therapeutic, academic, and peer supports provided for in traditional treatment environments.  Unfortunately, most typical transitional living settings are developed for clients entering adulthood and 13, 14, 15, and 16-year-olds have different needs than the 18, 19 and 20-year-olds that makeup the bulk of young adult programs. With the Adolescent Transitional Living (ATL) Program, In Balance is extending its aftercare options to meet the unique needs of young men ages 13-17.  The clinical, academic, and experiential programming developed for this program have carefully considered the ages and level of care and support that younger clients need to thrive post-primary treatment.

The Adolescent Transitional Living program,” says Patrick Barrasso, “will serve young men who have successfully completed therapeutic boarding or other, similar, programs and need additional support in order to maintain their sobriety while learning how to negotiate the challenges and transitions of adolescence.”   The most effective treatment modalities, pedagogies, environmental settings, and developmental “needs of clients still in highschool look very different from those of young adults in the workforce or in college.  After a year of searching for the perfect property and meeting diligently to put together the model, we are excited to launch this program.”

The program will open in August of 2022 and will be capable of housing ten clients.  JB Yewell, MS, MPA, a primary therapist who has served the clients of In Balance for five years, will take on the role of Primary Therapist and Program Director for the Adolescent Transitional Living Program.   JB notes that, “ATL will draw upon many of the strengths we have developed within our two [In Balance] Young Adult Transitional Living programs, such as a 3 phase system, experiential outings, an emphasis on diet and exercise, and therapeutic components, including individual, family, and group work. That being said, we also recognize that there needs to be some big differences for us to both appropriately and effectively serve the adolescent population. Therefore, ATL will have a different structure and more robust schedule, as well as, boundaries, expectations, and rules that are more appropriate for the adolescent student.” The Continuum’s Adolescent Program will incorporate dedicated school hours five days a week, experiential activities that encourage connectivity and fun, and policies that are tailored to ensuring many “firsts” for highschool students (ie. jobs, dating, driving) are available and navigated through the lens of continued recovery and mental health support that makes sense for these young men.

In Balance is looking forward to answering any questions and taking inquiries. We have lots of information about this new part of the Continuum,” says Daniel Barrasso, Executive Director of In Balance’s Young Adult Services. “We will be glad to provide more information if you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the Adolescent Transitional Living (ATL) Program.”

Anyone interested in seeking active recovery with any one of In Balance Continuum’s programs can visit www.inbalancecontinuum.com or email daniel.barrasso@inbalancecontinuum.com.  

In Balance Continuum of Care was founded by Patrick and Betsy Barrasso in 1996, and they still own and operate the Continuum today.  With the help of their three children and staff, In Balance ensures active recovery for all clients.  To help families heal from substance abuse and co-occurring disorders, four programs, each with different levels of care, make up the Continuum of Care.  In Balance Continuum consists of: In Balance Intensive Outpatient program, an outpatient group which serves the local Tucson community and is designed for men and women 18-80 years old with substance abuse and co-occurring disorders; In Balance Academy, a therapeutic boarding school and accredited high school which serves young men 14-18 years old with substance abuse and co-occurring disorders from all over the world; In Balance Transitional Living, aftercare programs serving young men 14-28 years old post-primary/residential programs from all over the world with substance abuse and co-occurring disorders; and In Balance Alumni Continuing Care Services, an In Balance Alumni support and living community serving our alumni, 17-28 years old with substance abuse and co-occurring disorders. All of In Balance Continuum of Care’s therapeutic services have earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Behavioral Health Care Accreditation. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective care.  All In Balance programs are fully licensed in the state of Arizona under licenses CSLG9295, OTC 8767, and OTC9296.  All In Balance employees maintain Level One Fingerprint Clearance as issued by the State of Arizona Department of Public Safety and all licensed employees complete all continuing education per licensure requirements, yearly.  In Balance currently has over 75% of all employees and 95% of all clients fully vaccinated against Covid-19.  To connect with the main office, please call 520-722-9631 or mail 6107 E. Grant. Rd., Tucson, AZ 85712 .