NEWS RELEASE
December 19, 2005

For more information, contact:
Mychele Kenney, Director of Youth Services
(309) 827-6026
www.chestnut.org

CHESTNUT HEALTH SYSTEMS’ YOUTH CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY TREATMENT PROGRAM ONE OF TWELVE PROGRAMS PROFILED IN NEW NATIONAL TREATMENT GUIDE

Chestnut Health Systems’ Youth Chemical Dependency program is one of 12 programs throughout the United States to be profiled in Bridging the Drug Treatment Gap in the Juvenile Justice System. This new guide, published by the nonprofit research institute, Drug Strategies, examines this critical gap in treatment, identifies the key elements of an effective treatment program and profiles 12 programs that have successfully incorporated some of these elements.

This first-ever and much-needed guide brings together current research and clinical practice in the area of adolescent drug treatment and review of the juvenile justice system to provide clear guidance for improving the way these systems handle adolescents with substance abuse problems. Bridging the Gap was developed with guidance from an advisory panel of nationally-recognized experts, including leading academics, clinical researchers, treatment providers and juvenile justice experts. The guide builds on Drug Strategies’ 2004 guide, Treating Teens: A Guide to Adolescent Drug Programs, the first-ever comprehensive guide to adolescent drug treatment programs. Chestnut’s youth chemical dependency treatment program was also highlighted in the 2004 guide.

“The CHS Adolescent Program is honored to be recognized in this way. Our collaboration with juvenile court services offices throughout the state have truly benefited youth,” said Mychele Kenney, Director of Youth Services at Chestnut Health Systems. “Chestnut is committed to making sure that all adolescents who need treatment for chemical dependence are able to receive these services.”

Bridging the Gap provides a framework for understanding what has been learned about effective drug treatment for adolescents in the juvenile justice system. It takes into account the realities of the juvenile justice system, which involves many different agencies, each with its own mission, philosophy and concerns. In addition, it notes that there are 51 different juvenile court systems and no common standards of practice of accountability nationwide. The guide provides a comprehensive explanation of the eleven key elements of effective drug treatment in the juvenile justice system and outlines how individual programs have incorporated those elements. The profiles include information on program results and the challenges of incorporating these key elements into the complex juvenile justice system.

ABOUT DRUG STRATEGIES
Drug Strategies, a non-profit research institute, promotes more effective approaches to the nation’s drug problems and supports initiatives to reduce the demand for drugs through prevention, education, treatment and law enforcement. Bridging the Gap: A Guide to Drug Treatment in the Juvenile Justice System can be ordered online at www.drugstrategies.org. Media review copies of Bridging the Gap: A Guide to Drug Treatment in the Juvenile Justice System are available to journalists. Please call Gretchen Wright or Johanna Diaz at (202) 371-1999.

ABOUT CHESTNUT HEALTH SYSTEMS
For more than 30 years, Chestnut Health Systems has offered a broad array of behavioral healthcare services to residents in Central and Southern Illinois, fulfilling its mission of “making a difference: improving quality of life through excellence in service”. Known throughout the state as one of the leading providers of substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, credit counseling, substance-abuse related research, training, and publications, and employee assistance & workplace services, Chestnut’s team of caring professionals now exceeds 700 full and part time staff. To learn more about Chestnut Health Systems, please visit our website at www.chestnut.org or contact Dietra Kulicke, Director of Marketing & Communications at (309) 827-6026.