Ventura County wellness center tackles substance use and mental health disorders through unique approach
VENTURA COUNTY — Nate’s Place, A Wellness and Recovery Center (Nate’s Place), a 501c3 nonprofit who’s unique “recovery recipe” program is designed to support teens and young adults at risk of substance use and/or mental health disorders, earned itself a place in the national spotlight recently, with a feature in People Magazine.
The article shared the story of 21-year-old Nate Rhoades, who tragically passed away in 2021 after the result of a car accident involving a semitruck. Nate’s parents, Heidi Allison and Larry Rhoades, were inspired to launch the wellness center in honor of Nate, who successfully won his own battle with addiction as a teenager. Allison and Rhoades knew Nate’s story wasn’t done. After Nate’s organs were donated, saving the lives of many, his parents were determined to ensure the generous and giving spirt of Nate — who made a meaningful impact on all those who knew him — would continue to make a difference.
Today, Nate’s Place — one of 14 finalists out of 500 applicants for the 2024 National Children and Youth Resilience Challenge launched by The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — has supported 269 individuals through a combination of 1:1 peer support coaching, access to recreational activities, and group counseling and education at its Oxnard center and in local schools in Ventura County, California. The approach is appropriately named “Nate’s Recovery Recipe” — it worked for him, and it’s working for these youth. In a recent industry-standard self-report survey, 95% of participants reported improved overall mental health since attending and 96% reported improvement in reducing use of substances since attending.
“We’re receiving calls every day from families seeking support for their vulnerable loved ones battling addiction and mental health challenges,” said Allison, who also oversees the programs at Nate’s Place as a licensed clinical social worker. “Our wellness and recovery center is filling a gap in services for Ventura County, and we are proud to support youth with accessible no-cost services and transportation. With the need so great in our county, we are committed to increasing our circle of support to expand our capacity to add new youth to our programs.”
Allison, who has more than 25 years of experience in treating mental health and substance use disorders and more than 80 hours of training as a peer recovery specialist, specializes in evidence-based treatments such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and has seen the impact of addiction first-hand. Allison is supportive of the County’s recent efforts to tackle the Fentanyl crisis on the local level, through its recently launched “Think Again” Fentanyl Awareness Campaign. Nate’s Place — who is listed as a resource center on the Think Again website, https://thinkagainvc.com/save-lives/ —
has hosted previous community presentations on the dangers of Fentanyl and keeps Naloxone Overdose Rescue Kits and test trips available.
“Education and awareness, in addition to access to resources, is such a critical component in fighting substance abuse,” said Allison. “We’re proud to live in a county that is taking addiction seriously and are even more proud to partner with the County on the deployment of our services through several contracts with Ventura County Behavioral Health, including the Substance Use Prevention Teen Intervene contract. Through the program, we provide Teen Intervene Groups in 11 middle and high schools in the county.”
Nate’s Place is currently operating near capacity and is focused on expanding its capacity to support vulnerable youth. This unique start-up nonprofit needs continued financial support to ensure these important no-cost services remain available to Ventura County for decades to come. To learn more about Nate’s Place, visit https://natesplacewellnesscenter.org/
About Nate’s Place, A Wellness and Recovery Center
Nate’s Place, A Wellness and Recovery Center (Nate’s Place), is a 501c3 nonprofit organization located in Ventura County, California, that provides accessible, no-cost services and transportation for youth and young adults experiencing substance use and/or mental health disorders. The wellness and recovery center provides program participants with a combination of supportive services, known as “Nate’s Recovery Recipe,” inspired by the co-founder’s son, Nate Rhoades, who successfully overcame his own battle with addiction as a young teenager, and later passed away at the age of 21 after a tragic car accident. To learn more about Nate’s Place, visit https://natesplacewellnesscenter.org/