In a historic move, January 13, the William S. Hart Union High School District and the Action Family Foundation are partnering to open a sobriety school for local junior and senior high school students attending school within the school district’s boundaries. The campus will open at the Action Family Zone located at 20655 Soledad Canyon Road, Unit 24 in Santa Clarita. Currently there are 20 slots available for students, 10 for junior high and 10 for senior high students and more added as the school grows.
There will be 10 students per class room and students will attend school Monday through Thursday. Students attending the Action Academy will attend one to two semesters, and return to their established school sites. All student work at the Action Academy is accredited just as it is at their regular school site.
Creating a partnership with the William S. Hart Union High School District and Action centered around a sober school, has long been a dream of mine. While there are other sober schools across the nation, I believe this is the first time a school district and a drug treatment program have partnered together opening a sober school. The district is providing the teaching staff and curriculum and Action is providing the drug counseling staff and therapeutic services to help kids maintain sobriety.
For many alcoholic and drug addicted teens, the sober school offers teens a fighting chance to embrace sobriety, overcome their problems and live happy and successful lives. Recovery schools fill in the educational gap and emotional holes opened when kids use. Because classes are small, teachers can check in with each student regularly. Students also receive extensive drug counseling and recovery skills. And each student will have specific education goals and an individual treatment plan. The treatment curriculum includes life skills, addiction, family and group dynamics.
For further information about the Action Academy one may call Alex Urbina at 661-467-2714 or Kathy Hunter at the William S. Hart Union High School District at 661-259-0033, extension 210.
Cary Quashen is a certified addiction specialist and the founder and president of ACTION Parent & Teen Support Group Programs and ACTION Family Counseling Centers. Quashen may be reached at 661-297-8691.