APPLETON, Wis. (Jan. 30, 2017) – With teen substance abuse on the rise, Catalpa Health has partnered with Ascension/Affinity Behavioral Health to provide adolescent substance abuse services, including assessments and individual appointment sessions at Catalpa Health’s Appleton treatment center, located at 444 N. Westhill Blvd. in Appleton.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one in five children start drinking alcoholic beverages by the time they reach eighth grade and one out of 20 high school students take opiates for non-medical reasons. The goal of Catalpa’s program is to provide a comprehensive approach for early intervention and treatment of substance abuse, and to educate and empower teens to make knowledgeable decisions.

“Teen substance abuse is a growing problem, not only for teenagers, but also for their parents,” Lisa Kogan-Praska, president and CEO of Catalpa Health, said. “The new program at Catalpa will help families catch these problems early on and give teens the tools they need to make the right decisions.”

Appointments can be made with Ascension providers Sonya VanBemmel, CSAC, ICS, and Angela Savides, LPC, SAC-IT, by calling Ascension/Affinity Behavioral Health at (920) 223-8570. For more information on Catalpa Health and the services it provides, visit www.catalpahealth.org.