Rushford Academy is Hartford HealthCare’s current adolescent residential substance use program at 459 Wallingford Road in Durham, Connecticut 06422. The official Durham location page states that the program serves teens ages 13 to 18 and combines residential addiction treatment with continued academic support. Rushford Academy is a six-month residential program available only through referral from the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. Families looking for alcohol treatment should therefore understand that this is not a walk-in rehab or a standard private-pay boarding school.
Residential Treatment for Teens
The Durham program is designed for adolescents whose use of drugs or alcohol has become serious enough to require a structured living environment. Rushford describes a therapeutic model built around a 12-step recovery orientation, the Seven Challenges Program, and a holistic focus on physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Seven Challenges is specifically designed for adolescents and addresses both substance use and mental health concerns without relying on a confrontational style.
For a teen whose alcohol use is tied to family conflict, falling grades, risky decisions, depression, anxiety, or use of other substances, residential care can provide time and structure to work on several problems together. Rushford also emphasizes family involvement because addiction affects the entire family system. Treatment is not limited to alcohol education; the program focuses on motivation, healthier coping, responsibility, communication, recovery skills, and preparation for returning to daily life.
Academics During Recovery
Education is integrated into the Durham program rather than placed on hold. Hartford HealthCare states that academic programming includes individualized tutoring and coordination with the student’s school, along with onsite sports and physical education opportunities. This can be important when alcohol or other substance use has disrupted attendance, performance, or relationships at school. Keeping academics connected to treatment may help a teenager make progress without losing sight of longer-term educational goals.
Rushford’s broader addiction system specifically provides services for teens with alcohol use disorder. However, Rushford Academy is a residential behavioral health program, not a medical alcohol detox unit. Parents and referral sources should disclose recent drinking, prior withdrawal symptoms, seizures, medications, medical conditions, and other drug use so clinicians can determine whether another level of care is needed before residential placement.
Referral and Access
The current Durham page lists 877-577-3233 as the contact number. Because Rushford Academy is described as referral-only through Connecticut DCF, Hartford HealthCare does not publish a conventional insurance or self-pay admission list for this specific program. Families should not assume that commercial insurance alone can be used to enter the residence. The referring agency and Rushford can explain eligibility, placement requirements, and funding arrangements. For an eligible teen who needs long-term structure for alcohol and other substance use concerns, Rushford Academy combines treatment, family participation, recovery programming, and continued secondary education on one campus.
