Cullen, B., Cox, G. (2003) Aislinn Adolescent Residential Rehabilitation Centre: Evaluation, Dublin: Addiction Research Centre, TCD.
This document reports on the evaluation of Aislinn Treatment Centre, which is a dedicated residential treatment centre for young people aged 15-21 with addiction problems. Aislinn is a subsidiary of the adult Aiseiri centre which operates a treatment programme based on the Minnesota Model and characterized by the 12-step philosophy. The Aislinn programme is modified for adolescents, although in general it adheres very closely to the parent model. The report provides a detailed profile of participants and programme outline. The report is in general positive about the participant’s experiences while in residential treatment, highlighting the programme’s role in providing focus, respite, structure and an opportunity for family engagement. However, the report raises some questions about young people’s preparedness for the model and also about the programme’s capacity to facilitate participants’ re-integration into the communities and families from which they came.