Press Release: Our Team Prepares for a Cut in Youth Addiction Resources

September 19, 2023

News broke earlier this week that our partners at Dallas Phoenix House have made the difficult decision to close down their residential and outpatient treatment center. This announcement follows the decision to close their residential facilities in Austin, Texas just last month.

The closure of addiction treatment services in Dallas will have an unprecedented impact on our community. Phoenix House was one of the only facilities currently offering in-patient youth recovery treatment for uninsured and underinsured families. The 2020 Census estimates that in Dallas alone 25% of families are considered uninsured. Youth180 has worked closely with Phoenix House for years to refer youth lacking private insurance to their in-patient services. Without a facility providing accessibility to these services, hospitals and emergency rooms may see a rise in overdose cases in the months to come.

Our team at Youth180 is preparing to receive an overwhelming influx of youth treatment inquiries as one of the few remaining youth substance outpatient treatment facilities in Dallas.

“Our organization will never turn youth away for the inability to pay, but with the rising costs of recovery support and limited funding amid an opioid crisis we need contributions for operational expenses as we expand services to keep up with the demand. We urge the community to get involved and support our organization financially so we can continue to serve as many youth and families during this difficult time.” - Keri Stitt, President and CEO of Youth180.

Our facility is the only organization currently integrating substance use disorder treatment with the most effective therapeutic modalities available to clinicians. Youth are treated with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy to address the trauma that can be the underlying cause of their dependency on substances. This innovative approach allows for the best results but can be costly for the organization to expand.

To help keep services accessible, donate to our North Texas Giving Day Campaign at NorthTexasGivingDay.org/donate/youth180