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Northern Virginia Adolescent Treatment Center to open 12–17 residential program with Opioid Abatement Authority funding
Summary
Program leaders described a new Northern Virginia Adolescent Treatment Center that will offer residential treatment, detox and crisis stabilization for ages 12–17, funded by the Opioid Abatement Authority and local matches from five CSBs to keep care local and family‑centered.
The director said a new Northern Virginia Adolescent Treatment Center will open a residential treatment program for adolescents ages 12–17, offering detox and crisis stabilization supported by funding from the Opioid Abatement Authority and local matches from five community services boards (CSBs).
Program leaders told attendees the center was created in response to a post‑COVID rise in overdoses among young people and years of limited local options. An agency official said, "With the funding available through the OAA plus the local matches pledged by those 5 CSBs, any kid that needs services will be able to get it." The presenters said the center will aim to prevent adolescents from being placed far from their families and communities.
The center's director described the program as a locally based residential facility for 12‑ to 17‑year‑olds that will provide short‑term detox, crisis stabilization and longer residential care. "The Northern Virginia Adolescent Treatment Center is us. We're 12 to 17, residential treatment center," the director said, emphasizing that co‑located services and closer family access support better aftercare planning and step‑down services.
A staff member highlighted adolescents' developmental vulnerability and the urgency of early intervention, saying teens "are still figuring out who they are" and that adding substance use "can cause a lot of problems very, very quickly." The presenters argued that a local option—reachable by metro or bus—will keep family connections stronger and help families learn how to navigate care in the community.
Program leaders framed the center as part of a continuum of behavioral health care for the region, intended to reduce the number of adolescents who are too acute for substance‑use programs yet too substance‑involved for behavioral‑health services. They said the combination of OAA funds and pledged local matches from five CSBs will make the services available to any adolescent who needs them, though specifics on opening dates, bed counts, operating budgets and the CSBs involved were not specified in the presentation.
No motions or formal votes were recorded in the presentation. Presenters closed by saying they hoped the center would provide safe, organized and supportive care that allows young people to recover and return to their communities.
