Adolescent Substance Abuse Counseling Service

Overview

The Adolescent Substance Abuse Counseling Service (ASACS) serves active-duty U.S. military dependents and their families throughout Europe and the Pacific-Rim.

Since developing the program in 1987, Science Applications International Corporation (Leidos) and its customers manage the ASACS program, which serves all military branches.

Preventing, identifying and treating adolescents with problems related to alcohol and other drugs is the top priority of ASACS. Leidos helps to support this critical need of the military community by:

• Designing and implementing prevention education programs to address specific school and community needs
• Interfacing and networking with military branches and the community to identify adolescents in need of services
• Supporting family quality of life by offering individual, group, and family counseling

Our ASACS counselors provide prevention education, screening and assessments; individual, family and group therapy; and after-care services that provide value-added resources for the families of military personnel. This program helps to enable military personnel to concentrate on their mission, can increase military readiness, helps to strengthen family life, and can reduce early returns and costly international and community incidents.

Prevention Education

Leidos provides a comprehensive community prevention education program using lesson plans, structured classroom interaction, and group and individual experiential learning exercises. We offer a parent training program which teaches communication skills, limit setting, active listening, and discipline techniques. We also provide professional consultation training and prevention materials upon request to school and community officials.

Identification and Referral

Leidos teaches community members how to identify the signs of substance abuse and refer at-risk or substance-abusing adolescents to ASACS. ASACS personnel interface with the military at all levels, as well as work with community social services agencies that help children, hospital personnel, law enforcement agencies, schools, and various community groups to help at-risk dependents get the support they need.

Treatment

Leidos provides outpatient treatment for adolescents and their families, following a model developed in accordance with the American Society of Addiction Medicine criteria for outpatient substance abuse services. We offer assessments; individual, group, and family counseling; follow-up and after-care services in military communities; and in the Department of Defense Dependent Schools and state civilian schools.