DYC is a 3-year, multiphase therapeutic community serving young men and women ages 14 to 21 with severe abuse problems. Therapeutic communities are based on the belief that addiction is a symptom of larger socialization problems rather than an independent disorder. Rehabilitation involves treating the whole person by changing addictive attitudes, beliefs, and lifestyles. DYC modified the traditional adult-centered approach by creating a multistage, step-down therapeutic community that gradually reintroduces youths in to the larger society. This modification involves a shorter length of stay, increases reliance on staff, and inclusion of parents in the therapeutic process. School counselors, other treatment programs, parents, and the criminal justice system primarily refer youths to DYC. Most program members are male and white. Most youths transition to day treatment after completing the residential component of the program. The combination of work or school and day services provides members with the opportunity to gradually reenter the larger community while retaining the supportive network developed within DYC. The transition phase is the final component of the program. Members return to DYC for group meetings twice a week and work on transition issues, such as building and maintaining relationships with people outside the DYC community. After a year in the transition phases, members are ready to complete the program when they have remained drug-free, completed a GED, established a bank account, and pay for their housing. Preliminary findings from the outcome evaluation of this program indicate that retention rates are at or above the median retention rates for both short- and long-term retention. 1 figure, 2 tables, 4 notes, 8 references