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Substance Abuse Program

The KYFS substance abuse program offers adolescent prevention, intervention and treatment to culturally diverse populations of youth and their families.

These services include the Back on Track Program (Prevention and Early Intervention Services), the Drug Free Challenge Program (Level I Outpatient Treatment Services) and the Intensive Outpatient Program (Level II Intensive Treatment Services), all considered “promising practices,” potentially “best practices.” The program provides services to youth who reside in many of the communities in South King County.

In 2010, KYFS Substance Abuse Program delivered over 5,000 hours of service. 81.1% of youth participating were able to demonstrate clean urinalysis testing and complete treatment. This completion rate is significant when compared to statistics that show only 56.2% of youth in 2010 completing treatment statewide. KYFS Substance Abuse Program was given special recognition by the Seattle Times in a “Fund for the Needy” article published on Dec 29, 2010. The article highlighted an interview with two teens who had received substance abuse  services at KYFS during the year. Both teens commented about receiving caring assistance to help them learn how to live a clean and sober lifestyle. One youth stated, “They (KYFS) encouraged me and really made me want to (quit) because of all the care they've showed."

2010 marked the end of the KYFS Substance Abuse Program being managed as a separate department. As of January 2011, the KYFS Substance Abuse Program joined the KYFS Youth and Family Counseling Department’s array of services. It is hoped that this “joining together” of counseling and substance abuse programs for adolescents will more effectively address the mental health and substance abuse co occurring issues that appear to be increasing in the adolescent population that KYFS serves.

KYFS also said goodbye to Juliette Sauvage, Substance Abuse Program Manager in December, 2010. During Juliette’s seventeen year tenure as program manager,  a wide array of programs were developed and successfully implemented by a caring and dynamic staff. These have included: First Time Offender Program, 2BFree Prevention Program, Parent Support Group for Parents of Substance Abusing Youth, Back on Track, Drug Free Challenge 2, and the Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program. As a result, KYFS has experienced and continues to experience an increase in referrals from schools, community youth accountability boards and probation counselors. Juliette was and is a leader in the field of youth substance abuse treatment, recognized by her colleagues across the region for her success career in the field, innovations, passion and creativity. KYFS was fortunate to have her leading the Substance Abuse program until the conclusion (for now) of her long career.