One aspect of substance use disorder treatment that is overlooked at most facilities is the empathy of the staff towards those seeking help. At Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge, nearly every person who interacts with the clients is a graduate of the program. This provides two major advantages of MNTC over other treatment programs: the staff’s empathy towards clients and a personal understanding of how to address the experiences of new clients.

By staff, I am referring to the administration people, counselors, and nearly everyone who works there. I cannot say this applies to all the people at Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge, but it does apply to many of the staff. This was not a scientific poll to see who graduated. When this study began, I contacted some of the staff to set up interviews with graduates, and many of them said I could start with them. Most of the staff that I reached out to before this study began are MNTC graduates.

These MNTC graduates are so excited about their transformation that they want to tell their story to everyone they meet.

MNTC staff are different because this isn’t just a job they go to and leave at the end of their shift. I also know people who work, or have worked, at other treatment facilities, and they have told me that at the end of their day, they just leave. They have not dealt with substance use disorder themselves; this is just a job to make money, and those whom I have spoken to have difficulty understanding why the clients can’t just stop their abusive behavior.

The study in this book focused on the Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. However, the subjects of the study came from different states for treatment at MNTC in Minneapolis. As a part of the study, different Adult and Teen Challenge (ATC) locations were reviewed. For the residential programs, the basic components are the same. MNTC was the chosen focus for this study as it was near the author’s home, thus making access to staff and graduates easier for the study.

The graduates in this study on substance use disorder treatment were from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and one from Florida. The reasons for their treatment in Minneapolis, Minnesota, were varied. Many who came from Minnesota were at MNTC as part of a plea agreement with the courts, which offered reduced time if they completed the program. Others were at MNTC because a relative was trying to help them with their substance abuse and sent them to this location.

According to the Adult and Teen Challenge USA website https://teenchallengeusa.org/, there are 220 locations in North America alone. Help is available if someone just looks for it.

Many of the graduates from this study of Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge come to the program with a substance use disorder going back decades. In other words, they have been treated for 25-40 years prior to coming to MNTC. Some of them start abusing as early as 10years old. Many by sneaking alcohol from parents who were also abusing alcohol or other drugs, thus providing an example for their children. Children are always watching the adults around them, and when they see mom and dad getting drunk or high, and still able to function enough to put food on the table, the kids think they can too.

Alcohol and other drugs are easy to get if your parents leave them out and don’t pay attention to how much is in the bottle or how many cans are in the refrigerator.

Those adults who come to Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge are coming to get sober, and all those in this study have graduated from alcohol to drugs like methamphetamines, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs mixed with alcohol. One graduate said, “I started with alcohol at 13, then moved to marijuana and cocaine.” He added that “the cocaine would wake him up from his drunken stupor to the point that he believed that he was able to drive a car.”

Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge is the only program that has worked for these clients. Some went through as many as 12 other treatment programs in 20 years before coming to Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge and finding a program that has helped them get sober and stay sober.