Johnson County Mental Health Center’s Adolescent Center for Treatment, a residential program for teen substance use treatment, is completing a move on Wednesday, Aug. 9 to the Youth & Family Services Center, a county-owned building in Olathe located at 920 W. Spruce St.

The move is the program’s second stint in the Youth & Family Services Center. Before moving to Shawnee for the last three years, it was housed in the Olathe building from 2016 to 2020.

The move back to Olathe includes an additional bed for the program, making it an 11-bed facility. Tim DeWeese, Johnson County Mental Health Center’s director, says the move is also a step toward expanding services for youth in Johnson County.

“One of the biggest gaps in care in our community is a place for young people to go in an emergency or crisis,” DeWeese said. “Moving into a building with room for growth will help us work toward expanding services for youth, providing earlier interventions, and keeping our young people out of the hospital or jail.”

For teens experiencing problems related to drug or alcohol use, the Adolescent Center for Treatment provides a safe, trauma-informed starting point for their recovery. The program helps teens develop a recovery plan, address mental health concerns, learn coping skills and improve family relationships and academic performance.

Teens in the program are referred to outpatient substance use and mental health services that continue supporting their recovery journey after their time in residential treatment.

The program was established by the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners in 1985 after a study commissioned by the board revealed a community need for affordable substance use treatment for youth.

More information on substance use services provided by Johnson County Mental Health Center is available at jocogov.org/substance-use.