South Oaks Hospital opens drug use disorder program for youths

South Oaks Hospital in Amityville has launched an outpatient child and adolescent substance use disorder program.

Northwell Health, which operates the hospital, said Monday services include preventive strategies, medication management and group, family or individual therapy.

The program, which launched in November, can handle 75 patients. Northwell said the long-term goal is to expand the patient cap to 300.

The South Oaks program was launched because of community needs and requests from area school districts, said Brian Pritchard, associate executive director at South Oaks.

“We’ve heard so much from schools and parents who couldn’t find care for someone,” Pritchard said. “We’ve had families tell us some heart-wrenching stories where parents were worried that their kid wasn’t going to make it. It was that hard to get care.”

He said a parent or guardian can call the South Oaks outpatient program, 631-608-5028, for more information.

 “We can evaluate people here and then provide the right treatment option,” he said.

Pritchard said a parent or guardian must accompany a patient.

He said a family therapist and two social workers will be dedicated full-time to the program, while other South Oaks staff, including a dietitian, registered nurses, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and a psychiatrist will support it as well.

Pritchard said the program helps round out the hospital’s substance use and mental health care.

“If there is a mental health disorder, and often with substance use there is, we have a psych presence already,” he said. “So we can handle all of it.”

South Oaks’ other treatment options include full detoxification and inpatient rehabilitation.