When it comes to the well-being of teens, early intervention matters. Half of mental health conditions begin to emerge by age 14, and 90% of adults with substance use disorders began using before the age of 18. Teen rehab for teen girls and boys offers an alternative path, one that provides families with critical support for lifelong wellness.

“Research consistently shows that teens who get help early for substance use and mental health issues have better recovery rates and lower relapse rates than those who seek help later.”
Ian Wolds, PsyD, Muir Wood Chief Clinical Officer

Learn more about Muir Wood’s treatment program below. When you’re ready, contact us to start your family’s healing journey.

What Is Teen Rehab? Our Treatment Philosophy

For many, the word rehab brings to mind rehabilitation from drug or alcohol use. While that’s certainly a part of what teen rehab addresses, the reality is often more complex. In both teens and adults, substance use is frequently a symptom of deeper, underlying emotional and mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, childhood trauma, bullying, guilt, or shame.

At Muir Wood, we recognize that effective teen rehabilitation means looking beneath the surface. We treat substance use, but we approach treatment from a holistic lens to address both behavioral issues and the underlying mental health of a teen. We understand that true rehabilitation involves addressing the root causes driving substance use.

Dr. Wolds explains, “Substance use is often the most visible symptom, but it’s rarely the whole story. Our work is about helping teens understand what’s underneath—the pain, the fear, the pressure—and giving them the tools to respond in healthier ways.”

At Muir Wood, we help teens gain insight into their experiences, understand their emotions, and develop healthier, more sustainable coping strategies. Once those deeper issues begin to heal, we guide teens in exploring their relationship with substances—why they started using, how to recognize when they’re at risk of returning to it, and how to take meaningful action if those urges arise.

It’s not just about stopping harmful behaviors. It’s about building resilience, self-awareness, and a foundation for lifelong healing.

How Do You Choose a Treatment Center? Important Factors to Consider

We understand how difficult it can be to navigate health care, especially regarding your teen’s emotional well-being. Our team recommends looking at the following factors when seeking care.

Learn more in our parents guide to selecting a treatment facility.

Expert Team Dedicated to Adolescent Recovery

At Muir Wood, we believe that teens deserve care from professionals who specialize exclusively in adolescent treatment. Our multidisciplinary team brings deep expertise and an unwavering commitment to helping teens heal from mental health challenges, substance use, or both.

Led by board-certified psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, licensed therapists, recovery counselors, and nurses, our team is uniquely trained in the complexities of adolescent development, co-occurring disorders, and trauma-informed care. We don’t just treat mental health or substance use; we focus on how these challenges intersect in the lives of teens, crafting individualized, evidence-based treatment plans that foster lasting recovery.

“When we treat teens in isolation—separating their mental health, substance use, and school struggles—we miss the full picture. A systems of care approach brings it all together. It’s how we move from managing symptoms to truly helping young people heal.”
Dr. David E. Smith, Chair, Addiction Medicine & MQAC, Muir Wood

Learn more about our dedicated teams.

Comprehensive Family Programming

At Muir Wood, we know that lasting change doesn’t happen in isolation. Substance use and mental health challenges affect the entire family, and healing works best when families are part of the process. That’s why family involvement is built into every step of treatment.

“Teens don’t heal in isolation. When families grow, learn, and repair together, we see deeper and more lasting outcomes,” says Rawland Glass, LCSW, Executive Director of Family Programs

Our comprehensive family program includes weekly therapy, therapeutic check-ins, virtual education seminars, and an online parent support group. With guidance from our clinical team, families gain the insight, tools, and connection needed to support long-term healing.

Learn more about how we involve families in treatment.

Expertise in Treating Dual-Diagnosis Conditions in Teens

When a teen struggles with both mental health issues and substance use, it’s known as a dual–diagnosis or co-occurring disorders. This is more common than many parents realize. Conditions like teen depression, anxiety, ADHD, trauma (including PTSD), or emerging mood and personality disorders frequently occur alongside substance use. According to research, teens with mental health challenges are significantly more likely to turn to substances as a way to cope.

At Muir Wood, we often see substance use as a symptom of deeper emotional pain. Many teens begin using substances to numb feelings of anxiety, sadness, stress, or shame. In other cases, substance use may actually contribute to mental health issues—impacting a teen’s mood, decision-making, relationships, and overall well-being. No matter which came first, one thing is clear: When mental health and substance use disorders occur together, they must be treated together.

That’s why Muir Wood’s integrated dual-diagnosis approach is so essential. Our clinical team is highly trained in treating complex teen mental health conditions, and we focus on helping adolescents develop the tools to manage emotions in healthy ways. Through trauma-informed, evidence-based care, we support teens in healing both the underlying emotional challenges and the behaviors that stem from them.

Learn more about the conditions we treat.

Clinically Supervised Medication Management

Many of the teen girls and boys we support in our dual-diagnosis teen rehab program require medications to help manage anxiety, depression, or mood disorders. Muir Wood provides expert, clinically supervised medication management to ensure your teen receives the right medications at the right time, always under the care of our licensed psychiatric and clinical team.

We work closely with prescribing providers and families to monitor each teen’s response to medication, make adjustments when needed, and ensure medication is thoughtfully integrated into their overall treatment plan. Our goal is to help teens find stability and healing in a safe, structured environment.

Accredited Supplemental Learning Program

At Muir Wood, we understand that healing and academic growth should go hand in hand. Through our WASC-accredited Supplemental Learning Program, we provide uninterrupted, high-quality education that keeps teens connected to their academic goals while in treatment.

Our accredited teachers and dedicated support staff work closely with each student’s home school to offer individualized academic support. Assignments are obtained and submitted weekly—via fax or email—ensuring your teen stays on pace with their peers back home.

As Jeff Erbst, Director of Academics at Muir Wood, explains, “Academic success is often the first place teens start to believe in themselves again. We meet students where they are—emotionally and academically—and help them rebuild confidence through structure, encouragement, and personalized support.”

This structured, supportive learning environment plays an essential role in the recovery process. For many teens, a small academic win can be the spark that reignites a sense of purpose and possibility. Success in the classroom helps reinforce emotional healing and reminds teens that growth is possible in all areas of their lives.

Learn more about our academic services.

A Small Client-to-Clinician Ratio

We intentionally maintain a low teen-to-clinician ratio to ensure your child receives the focused, individualized care they deserve. This approach allows our clinicians to build strong, meaningful connections with your teen and your family as a whole. By staying committed to smaller caseloads, we’re able to truly understand each young person’s unique needs and deliver the most personalized, effective treatment possible.

Purposefully Designed Campuses

Set in expansive, nature-rich surroundings, Muir Wood’s peaceful, retreat-like campuses offer an ideal environment for deep healing, free from the noise and pressure of the outside world. Here, teens are supported in cultivating resilience, practicing mindfulness, and reconnecting with themselves as they move through their journey of transformation.

As Joanna O’Neill, LMFT and Clinical Director, explains, “We know that teens in treatment need more than four walls. Being immersed in nature helps teens regulate emotions, reduce stress, and reconnect with a sense of calm and possibility. The setting matters.”

Throughout the day, our campuses encourage connection and growth through group therapy, academics, and outdoor activities. In the evenings, nearby home-like residences provide warmth, stability, and a safe place to rest.

Learn more about our campuses.

A Focus on Outcomes

At Muir Wood, we understand the critical importance of measuring the impact of the work we do. To ensure we deliver the highest quality care, we closely monitor the progress and outcomes of every teen in our treatment program. Utilizing nationally recognized, evidence-based outcome measurement tools, we track key indicators of success throughout the treatment process.

This data-driven approach allows us to make real-time adjustments to our programs, ensuring that we continuously improve and provide the most effective, personalized care possible for every teen in our program.

Learn more about how we measure treatment outcomes.

Accessibility to the Staff

When your teen is in treatment at Muir Wood, you’ll have direct access to their licensed treatment team. This connection is a vital part of our family-centered approach to teen rehab for girls and boys. We’ll provide you with phone numbers and email contacts so you can stay informed and connected throughout your teen’s stay. For urgent concerns that arise outside of regular business hours, we also offer designated after-hours contact options.

Supporting your family’s communication and peace of mind is a key part of our comprehensive teen mental health and addiction treatment.

Our 16 idyllic campuses are among the nicest you’ll find anywhere in the country. Like the properties they sit on, the interiors are wide open yet warm and embracing. Decorating is professionally done, colors are quiet and comforting, and all furnishings, from sofas to beds, are meticulously selected for comfort while complying with treatment center standards. Our goal is to create a home away from home where teens can feel relaxed, emotionally open, and very much at home.

Parental Approval of Muir Wood Teen Rehab

The words of the parents of our alumni speak volumes about the success of our teen rehab program. When these families found themselves in crisis and needed the very best help available today, they chose Muir Wood. More importantly, they continue to lend their voices to the good and important work we do so that others in their former position can find the best help for their children. These are real parents with real stories of the life-changing transformations their children underwent at Muir Wood. Here are just a few…

“I can tell you from my personal experience the staff at Muir Wood (Teen Rehab) saved my family. My son was battling addiction and that battle was destroying him and us. It is my most sincere belief that only due to the extraordinary skill of the staff at Muir Wood is my family intact today.”
– D.B. (father of a Muir Wood Alumnus)

“As a result of Muir Wood, our son graduated from high school and received the highest semester grade point average from his school, applied to and was accepted to a University, was able to work as a youth counselor at a summer camp this past summer, and now has a chance for a productive and rewarding future, that we believe did not exist just a year ago.”
– E.A. (father of a Muir Wood Teen Rehab Alumnus)

“My fifteen-year-old son was in a downward spiral of addiction and depression that almost annihilated him and devastated our family. Muir Wood saved my son’s life and began the healing process for our family. The entire staff at Muir Wood demonstrated incredible compassion, integrity and responsive expertise during his stay there and after discharge.”
– E.G. (mother of a Muir Wood Alumnus)

To learn more from our alumni families, read more parent testimonials or watch video interviews with past clients. Our team would be honored to support your family on your own healing journey.