Why JOURNEYS?

In cities all over the country – small and large – cities just like Omaha – kids are falling prey to the seduction of drugs and alcohol.  The natural fears and anxieties of adolescence are finding refuge in the form of a bottle…a pill…a smoke…or an injection.  In Omaha, Nebraska (Douglas county) almost 2000 young people have been identified as having substance abuse problems.  At the same time there continues to be a serious gap in the services available to young people with substance abuse issues.

In response to this serious dilemma within the Omaha community, Child Saving Institute, Catholic Charities and Omaha Home for Boys collaborated to develop and establish JOURNEYS, a continuum of services for addicted adolescents and their families.  The combination of community education and outreach, residential treatment, outpatient services, family programming, and intensive reintegration services provides youth and their families with individualized treatment as well as long-term, on-going support.

The JOURNEYS program cannot “fix” the current inadequate access and availability of adolescent substance abuse services.  However, JOURNEYS is beginning to fill the “gap” for those families who don’t know where to turn to find help for their teenager.

January 2004 marked JOURNEYS’ first year in the Omaha community.  During that year, the staff walked hand in hand with 136 teens and their families, helping them leave the shadows of addiction and step into the sunshine of hope.