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Health Matters: Providence Mission Hospital | 3 A Place for Teens An outpatient program helps adolescents, and their parents, get back on track. A dolescence can be a tough time even in the best of circumstances. For teens and tweens who are struggling with emotional issues, family stress, pressure at school or behavioral problems, the ASPIRE program is a lifeline—for kids and their parents. "Adolescence is a really tough period. There is a lot of confusion and exploration, and with the pandemic it's been really difficult for a lot of teens," says Brenda Jimenez, a senior mental health and wellness clinician for ASPIRE at Providence Mission Hospital Laguna Beach. Suicide rates among U.S. teens have risen, and many hospitals are overwhelmed with patients with mental health issues, she adds. "The goal of this program is to provide adolescents with the help they need to build stronger relationships with their families and their friends," Jimenez says. "We accomplish that by decreasing maladaptive behaviors and teaching coping skills." ASPIRE, which stands for After School Program: Intervention and Resiliency Education, is an outpatient program that can be found in South Orange County only at Providence Mission Hospital. The eight-week program serves kids ages 12 to 17. Students attend after school, four days a week, for three hours. Parents attend sessions twice a week and also have a weekly phone call with ASPIRE staff. The teens enrolled in ASPIRE typically need help with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety or self-harming, says Brittany Kelly, a mental health and wellness clinician for ASPIRE. "Our instruction modules address things like distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation and walking the middle path," she says. Students keep diaries to record their feelings and behaviors and then, with the support of counselors, they assess which skills work for them. "We do interactive skills-building activities, and the teens really support one another. We strive to create a safe space where they feel supported." The progress seen by the end of the eight-week program is heartening, Jimenez says. Families report improved communication skills and better expression of thoughts and feelings. "The teens have a new motivation to feel better, and they are inspired to use their new coping skills," she says. "There is a decrease in self-harming and improvement in family communication and distress tolerance." "It is amazing to see how transformational this program is," shares Kelly. For more information on ASPIRE at Providence Mission Hospital Laguna Beach, go to providence.org/locations/ mission-hospital-laguna-beach/ behavioral-health/aspire. Social workers, physicians or therapists can refer adolescents, and families can self-refer. Most insurance plans cover the fees associated with ASPIRE.

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