About Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre
The Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre (AARC) is a non-profit, long-term treatment program in Calgary, Alberta, for youth and young adults aged 12 to 21 who are struggling with alcohol or drug use. They have admitted young people since 1992. Their approach treats addiction as a chronic condition with biological, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions, and they also address co-occurring mental health concerns. Care is semi-residential and abstinence-based, with most families spending eight to ten months in the program, though there is no fixed end date and fees follow a sliding scale based on what each family can afford.
The program follows the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, organized into four levels, with intensive individual and group counselling several times a day. The team includes social workers, addictions counsellors, nurses, and consulting psychiatry and psychology professionals. Each young person is paired with a peer mentor, many of whom graduated from AARC themselves. Youth spend their days at the Centre and their nights in accredited recovery homes run by families further along in the program, and a parent or guardian must take part throughout while receiving their own personalized support. Daily chef-prepared meals, personal training three times a week, help returning to school or work, and continued involvement with the AARC community after graduation round out the program.
Substances
- Alcohol
- Opioids
- Benzodiazepines
- Cocaine
- Meth
- Marijuana
- Other Drugs
- Animal Therapy
- 12-Step Program
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Family Therapy
- Group Therapy
- One on One Counseling/Talk Therapy
- Aftercare/Relapse Prevention
Amenities
- Outdoor Lounge
