Mesquite Treatment Center was opened in 2006 by Laura Lisa Garza. It offers an intensive outpatient program for male and female adolescents and an intensive residential treatment program for males ages 13-17. The outpatient program lets patients continue their daily lives, incorporating therapy and counseling into their routine. While for residential treatment, patients live on-site, at the disposal of 24-hour care and supervision. Mesquite can assess each individual on a case-by-case basis and recommend the best route of care.
At Mesquite, their high-end residential facility is equipped with 20 beds. It sits on 17 acres of beautiful ranch land away from the rumble of the city. It is ornate with green scenery and livestock, which creates a haven of security meant to establish a reposeful environment conducive to rehabilitation.
“Take them away from the environment they are coming from, which is often not very positive, not very supportive, and bring them to an environment that is away from everything. It allows them to focus on themselves, discover life skills, certain skills that can help them in their future endeavors, from getting a resume done, applying for a job, and being productive citizens,” said Garcia.
There are countless amenities provided at the center to help not only nurture life skills but also cultivate new interests among the residents. Eventually, residents will return to the world, more often than not, to the same environment from which they came. Having new interests can play a significant role in keeping post-discharge patients away from the lure of substances.
“At the facility, residents can go fishing, there are walking trails that can be done, sports like football and basketball. There are team-building activities that counselors do with the patients. Another amenity is Jujitsu, there is an instructor that teaches the residents not just about the sport but about responsibility, discipline, the value of a workout and sweating, how to work as a team and create a family,” said Garcia.
A powerful activity conducted at the treatment center is recording each resident’s personal story, narrated by themselves, for it creates a sense of value and resilience within the patients.
“At the center, patients can record their story, share it with people they will never meet, and make an impact. It teaches the residents that their life can be used as a platform. Teaching the patients that they are still here despite all that they may have gone through,” said Garcia.
A big emphasis at Mesquite is educating parents on how they can contribute to the patient’s recovery. Parents are critical in developing a positive environment for the patients, a crucial element in post-recovery, where they won’t feel drawn to their former way of life. Often, homes lack an emotional connection between family members.
“Every home has a deficiency of something to some degree. Many times in a family, patients long for connectivity; even though they live under the same roof, the family is not connected with one another, so because there is a longing to connect, they have a need inside. If they are not able to connect with the family, then on the street, they are able to connect with somebody,” said Garcia.
To resolve this matter, Mesquite tells the parents and guardians that while the resident is in treatment, they need to develop a plan at home for when they return to build a more connected household.
“Teaching parents that while a patient is undergoing treatment at Mesquite, they are working on a plan at home to change things in their household, changing the structure, changing the way things are run. Sometimes, they have to downsize. Sometimes, they need to change their workplaces because the patients need them to be present. We need them to be involved. We need them to be more understanding, know how to communicate effectively, understand how to implement boundaries, and develop the workings of a healthy home,” said Garcia.
In addition to furthering interfamilial connections, Mesquite seeks to promote the patient’s relationships with their communities, enabling them to access resources conducive to maintaining their well-being outside their treatment period.
“The goal is when the resident transitions out of the program, Mesquite Treatment Center will connect them with different resources the client is in need of,” said Garcia.
For more information, call Mesquite Treatment Center at (956) 428-2100 or visit their website at mtcrgv.com.
