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Rehab for Teens


Residential treatment in Cascade, Colorado that helps teens (13-18) nationwide overcome substance use, addiction, and mental health challenges.

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Colorado Teen Rehab Overview
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Teen Residential Treatment

Cascade Canyon is a residential treatment center in Colorado designed specifically for teens struggling with substance use and co-occurring mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and trauma.

Teenagers experience challenges that no other age group faces, but Sandstone Care’s age-based treatment can teach your teen the tools they need to handle their challenges in a healthier way. Our facility provides a holistic rehab program, behavioral health treatment, and a supportive environment to ensure successful treatment.

Situated in the Rocky Mountains just outside Colorado Springs, Colorado, our residential facility will allow your teen to heal in a home-away-from-home.

 

How We Are Different

Sandstone Care aims to drive positive lasting change in real people. We understand that your teen has their own unique challenges and goals, so we offer a more personalized experience than you would find anywhere else.

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Age-Specific Care
Age-Specific Care

We are age-specific, not gender-specific. We focus on the unique circumstances that teens and their families face.

Evidence-Based Therapy
Evidence-Based Therapy

We only use treatment interventions that have been scientifically proven to provide consistent, lasting recovery.

Small Group Sizes
Small Group Sizes

Your teen is not a number, that’s why we provide a comfortable setting where they can be fully understood.

Individualized Treatment Plans
Individualized Treatment Plans

No one person is the same, and neither is their recovery journey. Your treatment program will be tailored to your teen’s unique needs.

Academic and Vocational Support
Academic and Vocational Support

We want your teen to get the most out of life, which means doing their best in the classroom or at their job.

The Family Component
The Family Component

Recovery involves the entire family, so we make sure you are all taken care of.

Meet Your Treatment Team

Amanda Porter
Amanda Porter, LPC, LAC
Program Director
Katelyn Rusk
Katelyn Rusk, MA, LPC
Primary Therapist
Pamela Weisman, MA, LPC, CAS
Pamela Weisman, MA, LPC, CAS
Family Therapist
Ashley Keckeisen, MA, LPCC, EMDR, BST
Ashley Keckeisen, MA, LPCC, EMDR, BST
Residential Therapist

Inside the Cascade Canyon Teen Rehab Center

Your child will be welcomed into a safe and spacious environment for their rehab treatment journey. During their stay with us, they will have many options to help them on their path to growth and recovery – such as wilderness therapy and equine therapy! They’ll get to experience the beauty of nature while participating in therapeutic activities that will help them heal.

Our Cascade rehabilitation center is located just outside of Colorado Springs and adjacent to the beautiful Pikes Peak Mountain. We provide age-specific and evidence-based residential treatment options that are focused on giving teens and parents the tools they need to heal.

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Find Hope at Sandstone Care

“Sandstone helped me to dig deep… and it taught me how to have a relationship with myself and relationships with others again. I was able to take the mask off, and I don’t have to put it back on.”

Watch Jesse detail how he took the leap to recover from addiction and find himself again. Discover the skills he learned during his time with Sandstone, including accountability for actions, self-sufficiency, and emotional regulation that allowed him to claim control over his life and stay sober.

With care from caring counselors and staff trained in addiction recovery, Jesse had access to the tools he needed to break the cycle of drug use and focus on his sobriety.

By tailoring treatment to the unique needs of patients like Jesse, we create an environment that fosters growth, healing, and the development of a strong support network.

Jesse’s Recovery Story

Benefits of Teen Residential Treatment

If your teen teens is struggling to overcome their challenges at home or in outpatient care, then inpatient residential treatment is an ideal choice. Here, teens are guided through their challenges and taught how to build a foundation for a brighter future.

Sandstone Care -  Mental Health & Substance Use Treatment
Serene Environment

Our teen residential treatment center is situated in a peaceful cul-de-sac setting. Surrounded by the beautiful Maryland wilderness, the environment provides all the fresh air and tranquility essential for recovery.

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Professional Supervision

Your teen’s well-being is our priority. Our dedicated staff provides 24/7 support in a secure, nurturing environment. We maintain appropriate safety measures, allowing teens to focus on their mental and emotional growth.

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Length of Stay

Our program typically lasts 60-90 days. Teens work with therapists to develop customized aftercare plans, ensuring a smooth transition home or to another program following treatment. This approach sets them up for long-term success.

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Chef Prepared Meals

Our in-house chefs create nutritious, delicious meals tailored to teens’ dietary needs. Well-balanced meals support teens’ physical health and mental well-being, and are essential to the recovery process.

Our Clients Experience Reduced Levels of Anxiety and Depression

At Sandstone Care, we know disorders like anxiety and depression can have a profound impact on one’s ability to enjoy life. That’s why our treatment programming addresses both addiction and mental health challenges.

In a recent study of people who completed treatment with us, the group reported a 57% decrease in anxiety symptoms. The same group also experienced a 78% decrease in symptoms of depression.

These are life changing numbers for our alumni. And for those experiencing addiction, they can be the difference between relapse and lasting recovery.

Drug & Alcohol Treatment Options

Struggling with substance use or addiction? Our rehab centers can help.

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Alcohol

The transition between recreational alcohol use and alcohol dependence can be a subtle one. But if you’re finding that you can’t stop drinking when you want to, you may have alcohol dependence.

Marijuana

Similar to alcohol use, smoking or ingesting marijuana has become normalized as a way to relax or take the edge off. When overused, it can make you feel unable to cope with life without using.

Stimulants

A stimulant is any drug that increases your central nervous system activity. Stimulants are used to heighten attention, hyperactivity, and alertness. Abuse of these drugs can lead to a variety of health problems.

Opioids

Opioids are a class of drugs that include synthetic opioids, pain killers, and the illegal drug heroin. These drugs, including prescription medications, are highly addictive.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment for Teens

For many teenagers, substance can be used as a way to self-medicate. Substance use can also lead to worsening symptoms or the onset of new mental health challenges.

By addressing mental health disorders and substance use together, we aim to break the cycle of co-occurring challenges and support lasting recovery.

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Depression Treatment

Depression involves persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest in daily activities.

Anxiety Treatment

Anxiety disorders are thought patterns of fear, dread, and uneasiness that affect other aspects of your life.

Bipolar Treatment

Bipolar disorder involves cycles of manic episodes with high energy and depressive episodes with sadness and low energy.

Trauma & PTSD Treatment

Trauma is the emotional response to a specific event like an accident, sexual abuse, or a natural disaster.

Attention Disorder Treatment

Attention disorders, such as ADHD, are marked by difficulty focusing, controlling impulsive behaviors, and over-activity.

Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment

Borderline Personality Disorder is characterized by unstable relationships and emotions, often leading to impulsive behavior and intense mood swings.

Colorado Teen Rehab Reviews

Empowering Transformation for Your Teen

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Small by design

We provide an intimate clinical environment with smaller group sizes and a maximum census of 22 so that your teen gets the attention they deserve.

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Length of stay

Teens typically stay 45-60 days and develop customized after care plans with their therapist, so that they can be set up for success as they transition home or into another program.

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Serene environment

Cascade Canyon is nestled peacefully next to Pikes Peak Mountain, just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The beautiful natural landscape will help your teen feel at peace with their healing process.

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Family focused

Family involvement is foundational to our program. You will be included every step of the way so that your entire family will have the opportunity to repair relationships and grow stronger together.

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OUR APPROACH

360° Treatment for 360° Recovery

Your teen is so much more than their struggles with mental health conditions, trauma, or addictions.

Our personalized treatment plans take every aspect of your teen’s life into consideration, from their physical and mental health to their relationships and schooling. This holistic approach ensures we create lasting, positive change by treating the root cause, not just the symptoms.

Our treatment team recognizes that your teen’s brain is still developing, and they tailor every treatment plan to meet each individual’s unique social, physical, and emotional development.

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Teen Specific Care Overview
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PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY

To Get Well, You Have To Get Moving

At Cascade Canyon, we believe in treating your teen as a whole person, so we use experiential therapy to incorporate movement to connect both their body and mind. Our therapists turn activities like horseback riding, hiking, or playing music into effective counseling sessions.

In order to make the biggest impact on a teen’s life, we confront issues that all teens face, but some are unable to cope with. In addition to various therapeutic modalities, teens will also engage in the following activities:

  • Tai Chi
  • Psychoeducation Seminars
  • Yoga
  • Self-Expression Groups
  • Experiential Activities
  • Hiking
  • Journaling
  • Life Skills
  • Empowerment Plans
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This place was amazing!

My child is almost done with their program and I’ve seen a huge difference.

Cassie M.
Parent
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Virtual Tour of Cascade Canyon

Residential Treatment Programs Designed For Youth

Your teen’s treatment should be as unique as they are, especially since different people react differently to therapy options. Our licensed clinical staff are trained and skilled in using a wide range of treatment approaches and evidence-based practices.

Some of the treatments and therapies we use at our residential treatment center in Colorado include:

  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
  • EMDR Therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Art Therapy
  • Equine Therapy
  • Music Therapy
  • Acceptance Commitment Therapy
  • Wilderness Therapy
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Come to Cascade Canyon

We are available 7 days a week to help answer any questions.

OUR TEAM

Credentialed People You Can Actually Connect With

Our staff is here to help restore lives and they don’t take that job lightly.

As a parent, it can be intimidating to trust a team with your child’s care, especially during a scary time. With licensed, highly-trained, and empathetic treatment professionals, you can feel confident that your teen is in good hands.

Each resident is assigned a multidisciplinary team, which includes a psychiatrist, individual therapist, family therapist, nurses, teacher, and recovery counselors to help them succeed.

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Introduction to Our Admissions Process

Admissions Process

Admissions Process

Once you and your family reach out to Sandstone Care about teen residential addiction treatment at Cascade Canyon, our devoted team of caring admissions coordinators will take some time to listen to what’s been going on in your teen’s life. This begins the assessment process and is referred to as a “pre-screen” portion of the process.

After pre-screen, the primary therapist, nurse practitioner, and program director at Cascade Canyon will consult with each other to make sure our program is the best fit for your teen and your family.

Being confirmed as a candidate is just the beginning of what our team does to prepare for your teen’s stay with us. We make sure to consult with any clinicians or other treatment programs your teen has been engaged with prior to being admitted to our program so that we can get a full picture of the clinical and medical history.

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Quickly Verify Your Insurance

Sandstone accepts most major insurances and it only takes minutes to verify!

We are fully HIPAA compliant and confidential with your insurance information.

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Would highly recommend for anyone with a teen struggling with substance abuse and mental health.

We have felt included and supported and are so grateful for the care they’ve provided to our son at such a vulnerable and scary time.

Cindy G.
Parent
Intake Process with Adviser and Client at Cascade Canyon

Arriving at Cascade Canyon

When you arrive at Cascade Canyon, you will be greeted by our friendly staff and introduced to the program director, your teen’s therapist, and a member of our nursing team. We will take some time to talk with you as a family about the program and give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have.

After meeting as a family, your teen will have completed their initial evaluation with our primary therapist to review mental health history, family dynamics, medications, trauma, and academic status.

Following completion of the assessment, your teen will then settle into their bedroom, meet their peers, and explore the lodge. In total, the intake and assessment time can take up to two hours to complete.

The First 24 Hours

We don’t want to waste any time in ensuring your teen gets the most accurate treatment possible, so we dive right in to learning about who they are and how we can help them.

Within the first 24 hours, your teen will meet with one of our psychiatrists to undergo a psychiatric evaluation; this includes completing a comprehensive mental health evaluation and a review of any current and prospective medications which may be helpful in managing their mental health symptoms.

Your teen will also meet with our family nurse practitioner, so that the team is aware of any physical medical concerns in order to completely support your child.

We provide comprehensive clinical programming designed to build your teen up and help them come to terms with the things they’re dealing with. The first 24 hours in a new place can be scary and intimidating, but our highly trained clinical staff is there to help guide your family, through this difficult process until it feels like home.

Evaluation Process during arrival at Cascade
Family Involvement and Therapy at Cascade Canyon

We Treat the Whole Family

We believe that when one part of the family unit is struggling, it affects the entire group. You may feel drained from trying to stay strong for your child, and you deserve support to be the best caregiver you can be.

Sandstone Care understands the importance of supporting the entire family, not just the teen in treatment. Often, the teen is the one who is telling the world, “My family needs help!” by acting out and displaying negative behaviors.

Our Cascade Teen Rehab involves family members in every step of the process, offering family therapy sessions and keeping family up to speed on their teen’s treatment progress.

The Daily Schedule

Our daily schedule is created around evidence-based therapies. Evidence-based means that our therapies have been scientifically proven to be able to help your teen to heal from their mental health and substance use disorders.

Individual therapy sessions are held multiple times a week, and teens will have the opportunity to check in with staff throughout the day so that they always have someone to talk to. Weekly experiential activities like ropes courses and community social events allow teens to continue being teens while learning and understanding more about themselves.

Early Mornings: Waking Up

In order to heal, your teen needs a strong start to the day. Mornings at Cascade Canyon start early, with a wake-up time of 7:00 am. Teens are given adequate time to get ready for the day before they’re asked to come downstairs for breakfast. Once the teens have eaten a nutritious breakfast, they meet as a group to have a morning check-in.

Mornings: Clinical Group & Academics

As your teen goes through treatment, they will work through difficult thoughts and feelings. Our program ensures they have plenty of opportunities to share their experiences to help them navigate this process.

In the morning, your teen will attend a group check-in. This is a time for everyone to share with the house what they’re feeling, discuss their goals for the day, and anything else they feel is important.

The remainder of the morning is spent on academics in the onsite classroom.

We employ credentialed teachers to guide teens through their homework assignments, provide one-on-one academic support, and teach them important life-skills such as organization, responsible decision-making, vocational planning, and money management.

Afternoons: Clinical and Experiential Programming

In the afternoons, your teen will enjoy a chef-prepared, healthy community-style lunch.

After lunch, they will get to exercise for an hour, either walking, hiking, doing yoga, or another activity. Fitness is an important part of mental and physical wellness, and is an effective part of our substance abuse and mental health treatment programs.

After fitness, teens sit down with one of the therapists for the afternoon process group. Teens are asked to share their thoughts, experiences, and emotions about things like relationships, self-esteem, and emotional wellness.

During this time, your teen will also engage in art therapy, journaling, traditional talk therapy (including DBT), music, and experiential activities.

Evenings: Winding Down

In the evenings, your teen will be given time to relax and process the day. They’ll be served a family-style dinner that they’ll enjoy alongside peers and staff.

After dinner, teens are given time to work on homework, journal, and decompress. Depending on the day, they might participate in yoga, art and music therapy, tai chi, or an evening hike.

Before lights out, teens have one last group check-in. This gives them a chance to go over the goals that they set for the day, make any necessary amends, talk about the positive things that happened during the day, and share any difficult emotions they are feeling.

Sleep is important for everyone, but especially for teens. Experts recommend that the average teen get between 8.5 and 9 hours of sleep each night, so each day ends just in time for teens to get a full night of sleep.

Weekends

Weekends include opportunities for teens to connect with family through a call or teletherapy session, participate in off-site group activities, enjoy time to themselves, or work on homework.

Family time, fun time, and alone time are all integral parts of a balanced healing process. We want to make sure teens are feeling refreshed and recharged going into each new week of recovery.

Teen Treatment Program Curriculum

Our residential treatment for youth centers around a 7-week curriculum of group process topics that help teens understand their challenges from all angles. This curriculum gives your child the knowledge, tools, and compassion needed for positive change.

Identity

Week 1: Teens explore skills and topics that aid them in learning more about themselves and their recovery identities (as opposed to their substance using or poor mental health identities). They focus on introspective subjects like self-esteem, self-discovery, values & morals, attitudes & beliefs, and self-acceptance.

Relationships

Week 2: Teens learn new social skills, including how to navigate and create healthy relationships with friends, family, partners, teachers, and other important people in their lives. They examine how they fit into these different relationships in a prosocial way, and focus on improving skills like communication, assertiveness, codependency, boundary setting, impulse control, compassion, and more.

Recovery

Week 3: Teens develop positive coping skills like grounding techniques, while also focusing on subjects like the effects of substance use on the brain, grief & loss in addiction recovery, building resilience, coping with trauma, self-nurturing, and maintaining safety.

Inner Work

Week 4: Teens learn skills that will help them handle life’s inevitable challenges. They explore topics like anger management, building trust in relationships, making commitments in recovery, and problem solving. They also learn how to assess triggers and cope with cravings in healthy ways.

DBT (Part 1)

Week 5: Teens learn all about the first two branches of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Mindfulness and Distress Tolerance. They explore related topics like mindfulness meditation, recognizing different states of mind, self-soothing, as well as WHAT skills, HOW skills, ACCEPTS skills, and PROMISE skills.

DBT (Part 2)

Week 6: Teens finish up their lessons on Distress Tolerance and begin learning about the last two branches of Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Interpersonal Effectiveness and Emotional Regulation. They dive into related topics like accepting reality, goals and roadblocks, distortions and stories, mutual purpose and respect, DEAR MAN skills, smooth SAILING skills, and SERENITY skills.

Stress Reduction

Week 7: Teens develop stress reduction skills this week and learn how to distinguish between good stress and bad stress. Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) skills, they begin to understand how stress affects the mind-body connection, appreciate what parts of life they can and can’t control, and learn helpful ways to cope with stress and painful situations.

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The Continuum of Care

Care for Wherever You Are in Your Journey

Access a full range of treatments for mental health and substance use disorders. Whether you need a safe transitional living community, inpatient care, or outpatient therapy, we have a program to help.

Learn more about levels of care

You have questions. We have answers.

If you have more questions about our Colorado Residential Treatment Center in Cascade Canyon, our admissions team will be happy to talk to you! Call us at (888) 850-1890 if you don’t see your question below.

Yes! Please complete an Insurance Verification to quickly find out if we accept your insurance.

 If we are not the best fit for you, we can help link you to other residential treatment centers in Colorado to ensure your teen gets the care they need.

Our admissions team can provide you with a comprehensive list of what to bring! Call (888) 850-1890.

Cascade Canyon provides gender specific sleeping arrangements with each room accommodating 2 to 4 clients with its own bathroom. Our goal is to be a home away from home for the teens.

Each individual’s treatment team consists of six experts who specialize in teen trauma, alcohol addiction, drug addiction, and mental health disorders including our Program Director, Family Therapist, Primary Therapist, Psychiatrist, Teacher, and Medical Director (supported by our Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner).

Our Residential Treatment Colorado center located in Cascade Canyon only treats up to 12 adolescents at any one time. This allows our teen clinical team to truly individualize treatment for every client and family we serve at our treatment facilities.

Our youth residential treatment centers in Colorado provide academic programming for two hours per day, five days a week. The academic program is led by a certified teacher who works in collaboration with the client’s home school to obtain current classwork to help keep them current in his or her school work to ensure seamless reintegration. Sandstone Care has partnered with LearnWell Academy to provide our comprehensive education services.

Family involvement is a critical component of Cascade Canyon’s teen treatment program. Family participation is required, as healing the broader family system is critical to sustainable healing and long-term outcomes.

We treat teens ages 13-18 (18 year olds would need to be in high school.) The residents at Cascade Canyon are bright and creative teens who have been impacted by mental health issues or substance use issues. Typically, they are struggling with, or have experienced, anxiety, depression, trauma, and/or drug abuse.

Who you will not find at our Cascade Canyon treatment center: teens with a history of violence, teens who are actively suicidal or psychotic, teens who have severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia, or teens who exhibit behavioral issues that would disrupt the treatment milieu.

Each teen is carefully screened by the admissions team and the Program Director, and if needed, the Executive Clinical Director and Medical Director for appropriateness.

Cascade Canyon works with teens ages 13-18 who are struggling with substance use or co-occurring mental health disorders seeking positive change and recovery.

Common co-occurring disorders include:

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Substance Abuse

• Addiction

• Anger or Oppositional Defiance

• Self-Harm / Suicidal Thoughts

• Other co-occurring mental health disorders

Yes, psychological testing can be provided when deemed clinically necessary for a teen’s success. Dr. Alfonso Cappa is Cascade Canyon’s PhD Psychologist who provides onsite psychological testing and assessments when clinically indicated. Outside of psychological testing, every resident will receive multiple assessments upon admission and complete a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and medical evaluation during treatment.

Yes. Partnership is one of our core values and clinical collaboration is a very important part of what we do.

We work with your teen’s entire medical team in order to fully understand their mental health, relationship with drugs and alcohol, and any potential withdrawal symptoms that need to be taken into consideration.

Absolutely. Our residential treatment centers for youth take your family’s privacy very seriously. Every teen’s treatment at Sandstone Care is protected under the Health Insurance and Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

While parent involvement is a critical component of our program, Sandstone Care is committed to the health and safety of our clients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We are limiting in person visits and utilizing video chats and teletherapy. We also offer free virtual Parent Support Groups which can be a great way to learn more about the program and the work we do.

Yes, in addition to the residential teen treatment services at Cascade Canyon, Sandstone Care also provides a comprehensive continuum of care for both adolescents and young adults with both outpatient treatment and inpatient treatment centers located across Colorado, Virginia, Maryland, and Illinois.

The biggest difference between wilderness therapy and residential treatment is the setting and clinical structure of care.

Wilderness therapy occurs entirely outdoors in the “field”, typically in the desert, mountains, or forest region.

Cascade Canyon infuses wilderness and experiential therapies into our program, but it is not the foundation of our program. Residents stay at our lodge facility, rather than out in the wilderness.

In addition, Cascade Canyon is a strengths-based program and provides treatment in a home-like setting so teens can explore themselves and their behaviors in a supportive and caring environment. We do not enact punitive models of behavior modification.

Sandstone Care Teen Center at Cascade Canyon

We help teens and their families overcome challenges with drugs, alcohol, mental health issues, trauma, and addiction in Cascade, Colorado.

  • Address: 5250 Pikes Peak Hwy, Cascade, CO 80809
  • Phone: (719) 249-2465
  • Hours: 24 Hours
  • Levels of Care: Teen Residential, Assessments
  • Get Directions

 

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Let’s Take the Next Steps Together

We understand taking the first step is difficult. There is no shame or guilt in asking for help or more information. We are here to support you in any way we can.