Ventura County wellness center will use funding to revamp its teen center with new lineup of supportive programming and experiences over next 12 months
VENTURA COUNTY — Nate’s Place – A Wellness and Recovery Center (Nate’s Place), a 501c3 nonprofit whose unique “recovery recipe” program is designed to support teens and young adults at risk of substance use and/or mental health challenges, is giving its teen drop-in center a new boost of programming and activities designed to provide enrolled teens with well-rounded mental health and wellness support after Ventura County Behavioral Health awarded the nonprofit a 12-month contract, effective July 1, 2025, toward this effort.
The wellness center’s expanded lineup of teen-focused services will include the following:
- Teen Wellness Workshops — The nonprofit will host two workshops per week out of its drop-in center, which will cover a variety of topics including peer pressure and bullying, body image and body dysphoria, setting healthy boundaries, conflict resolution, understanding healthy and unhealthy relationships, and more.
- Teen Volunteer Days — Acknowledging that volunteerism and giving back has been shown to reduce mental health symptoms, Nate’s Place has launched Teen Volunteer Days, which will take place several days per month, in which youth will have the opportunity to volunteer for service projects for local nonprofits likes Food Share of Ventura County, Rescue Mission Alliance and other organizations.
- Teen Mental Health Wednesdays — On these dedicated teen mental health days, the drop-in center will focus on teaching coping skills and hosting mental health-centered activities such as making coping skills toolboxes, self-soothing skills building activities, creative writing workshops, self-esteem vision boards, inviting inspirational speakers, and more.
- Teen Career Workshops — Teens will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of workshops covering a range of topics from job readiness to application and resume writing to money management and more.
- Field Trips and Fun Excursions — Designed to expose youth to new experiences and broaden their horizons, these excursions will educate, inspire and engage teens through tours of local community colleges, rock climbing, equine therapy, whale watching, museum visits and more.
“We are incredibly grateful to be selected as a trusted provider of teen wellness services by Ventura County Behavioral Health,” said Heidi Allison, LCSW, program director and co-founder of Nate’s Place. “We have to approach mental health from many different angles. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but in creating a variety of accessible mental health supports and resources, we can really find the combination that works for each teen enrolled in our program.”
Teens who are enrolled in Nate’s Place programs will be eligible to engage in as many of these activities as they’d like and will be able to access free transportation to and from the center.
Nate’s Place currently partners with the County on the deployment of its services through several contracts with Ventura County Behavioral Health, including the Substance Use Prevention Teen Intervene contract. Through the program, Nate’s Place provides Teen Intervene Prevention Groups in 13 middle and high schools in the county.
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, founded in 2022, located in Ventura County, California, that provides accessible, no-cost services and transportation for youth and young adults experiencing substance use, trauma and/or mental health challenges. The wellness and recovery center provides program participants with a combination of supportive services, known as “Nate’s Recovery Recipe,” which includes 1:1 Peer Support coaching for every participant. The center’s unique approach is inspired by the co-founder’s son, Nate Rhoades, who successfully overcame his battle with addiction as a 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/.