THE PDAP APPROACH
Support through community is the heart of the PDAP approach. Support groups led by peers allow adolescents to build a drug-free life centered around day-to-day interaction with a supportive community, while our Family Program offers caregivers much-needed support and guidance as they navigate their loved ones’ path to recovery. Our community focus is expressed symbolically through the Monkey Fist – a knot traditionally used by docking ships as they make first contact with the shore. The knot is seen as a representation of the power of community and is worn as a necklace by PDAPers to symbolize their “first contact” with a substance-free life.
PDAP remains free for participants and relies solely on private donations to support our critical programs; we receive no local, state, or federal funds.
An Alternative Peer Group
Unlike traditional rehab facilities, we allow our young adults to practice their sobriety in a setting that closely resembles their everyday lives and offer a flexible structure so they can continue with other commitments. Maintaining full lives can aid in their long-term recovery success while helping them build skills to help them avoid substance abuse in their future day-to-day lives.
12-Step-Based Recovery Groups
Our program utilizes the 12 steps created by Alcoholics Anonymous for our peer support groups. These steps guide each youth’s recovery, so they can successfully reach sobriety.
Free Support For Those Who Need It Most
Everything that we offer is donation based! We solely rely on the support of the community, so any donation is greatly appreciated.
Professionally-Trained Recovery Coaches
Our programs are led by peer recovery support specialists. Through their lived experience and training, they help participants along the way.
Sober Socialization
Our events provide a safe and sober alternative for young people to get together and socialize without the risk of encountering alcohol or other substances
Support For The Entire Family
Recovery doesn’t happen alone. We are also here to support the rest of the family with peer support groups for caregivers, parent workshops, and sober social activities.
OUR PROGRAMS
Adolescent Program
(High School)
(High School)
Our Adolescent Program provides a fun, safe, and honest space for high-school-aged participants to build a community that can support them through their journey to recovery.
We provide the structure, support, and fun activities your teen needs in a sober environment.
- Peer-led: being a peer-led experience allows participants to take ownership of their program while helping each other navigate their individual recoveries.
- Recovery Coaching: participants also regularly meet with professionally trained Recovery Coaches to form the right recovery plan for them.
- Daily Recovery Activities: participants gather daily to socialize while engaging in recovery pathways resembling 12-step based groups.
Young Adult Prpgram
(Age 18-25)
(Age 18-25)
Our Young Adult Program is for emerging adults looking for a safe and supportive place to seek guidance as they navigate the challenges of recovery and independence.
Walking side-by-side with our young adults, PDAP provides a safe space for them to talk openly about their futures with sobriety and life skills at the forefront of the conversation.
- 12-step meetings: participants immerse themselves in a community of recovery-seeking peers through the program’s 12-Step based recovery meetings.
- Individual Recovery Coaching: our trained peer recovery coaches know what it takes to stay sober, and through individual recovery, coaching participants are able to form a recovery plan that works for them.
- Life Development: immersion into a community of peers seeking holistic recovery, these emerging adults gain invaluable tools towards developing an understanding that recovery is still fun! PDAP walks hand-in-hand with participants as they work with their peers to develop the skills they’ll need to build a healthy, sober life.
Family Program
Substance abuse affects the entire family. Our Family Program seeks to support caregivers in developing a better understanding of their loved ones’ experience with substance use disorder and what to expect on the path to recovery.
Our parent group is a unique peer support experience that aims to connect, heal, and stabilize the family by working towards recovery as a community.
- Parent Workshops and Support Groups: through the power of the group, caregivers find healing in their own path to recovery.
- Recovery Coaching: our recovery coaches meet with parents to help them feel validated and continually supported through their PDAP journey.
OUR EFFORTS
Prevention Services
Through 3P, we work proactively with elementary-age youth to prevent future substance use and violence.
- Evidence-based curriculum: our evidence-based curriculum helps reduce the risk of future substance abuse among students by increasing self-esteem, promoting healthy attitudes, and developing essential life skills.
- Drug Resistance Skills: our curriculum helps students build effective defenses against pressures to use nicotine, alcohol, and other drugs.
Think you could benefit from having a prevention program in your school?
Community Outreach
At PDAP, we have been utilizing the principles of peer based recovery for 50 years, so we provide the expertise needed to foster healing. Our outreach is focused on strengthening prevention, building awareness and education, and supporting access to resources for all. We provide training to community partners through workshops focused on professional development and topics related to substance use disorders and mental health recovery.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PDAP is an alternative peer group (APG) that serves adolescents, young adults, and their families through peer-to-peer support. Our program strives to lead by example a life to recovery through utilizing multiple pathways to recovery while you live at home.
PDAP’s Alternative Peer Group remains free for participants and relies solely on private donations to support our critical programs; we receive no local, state, or federal funds. Your tax-deductible charitable gift directly impacts the lives of Houston youth and families and helps offset our projected annual operating budget of $575,000. Each donation of $250 covers one participant’s weekly services. Any additional or larger contributions help expand our reach to more participants in need.
PDAP’s program is a voluntary. During the intake process, trained professionals will work with you to create a recovery plan that is right for your family.
We believe frequent and consistent attendance builds a solid foundation for recovery.
If you are interested in PDAP and would like your child to be a part of our program, please reach out to our program staff to schedule an intake session. This allows our program staff to sit down with you and assess that PDAP will be a good fit.
OUR STORIES
When my daughter and I came to PDAP almost six years ago, I was absolutely drained. I had no resources left to draw on; mentally, emotionally, physically, or spiritually. As I attended meetings… I could both see and feel the difference the program was making in all facets of my life; not just in my relationship with my daughter. My daughter learned life lessons and gained valuable tools through the group, her sponsors, and working the steps. These will always be available to her to draw upon should she choose to do so.
I am 17 years old. I first stepped foot in PDAP 4 years ago. At that time I was cold-hearted; I felt emotions were for weak-minded people. At first, I was hesitant about coming, but I did it to get my parents off of my back. A few weeks passed and I came to believe I really was and am an addict. After a while in PDAP, I made true friends/family, I came to believe in my higher power, basically, I felt like a new person…I truly believe that PDAP saved my life because without PDAP, I know I would be either in a cemetery or in a lockdown facility.
I wish you could know what I know about PDAP – it’s hard to put deep feelings into words. When a teen or young adult is abusing substances of any kind, chaos is sure to follow and we were that family. We started our journey in PDAP when our daughter was a 9th grader. We have received much-needed help and guidance from licensed professionals who truly care about us and our daughter. I often tell others that PDAP is a program designed with us in mind. PDAP doesn’t tell us or our daughter what to do, they show us different, healthier, more positive ways to think, communicate, and live our lives.