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Licensed professional counselor and Clear Fork Academy founder Austin Davis joins Rich to talk about rescuing teens from addiction and mental-health crises with clinically rigorous, Christ-centered residential care. He explains why 90-day programs, family-systems work, and even nightly dinners can change outcomes—and what warning signs parents miss most. They also discuss his book, My Kid, My Crisis, a plain-language guide for overwhelmed families.
Sponsored by Maryland Pickers
Guest Bio:
Austin Davis, LPC-S, is the founder and CEO of Clear Fork Academy, one of Texas’s largest Christ-centered residential treatment programs for teens. Since 2017, his team has helped rehabilitate more than 5,000 adolescents struggling with substance use and mental-health disorders. He’s the author of My Kid, My Crisis, blending real family stories with practical tools parents can use right away.
Main Topics:
· The post-COVID surge in teen mental-health and substance-use challenges
· Why Clear Fork’s model is clinically based and Christ-centered (not either/or)
· 90-day residential care, plus outpatient and step-down options
· Family-systems intensives and why “if the family doesn’t get better, the kid won’t”
· Charter-school academics on campus; getting teens back on track to graduate
· Early warning signs parents miss: changes in people, places, and things
· Social media’s dopamine loop and permanent online consequences
· Everyday rituals that heal: tech-free family dinner, shoulder-to-shoulder talks
· What to do before the ER: seek help early; you’re not alone
· Stories of transformation and the role of faith, service, fitness, and fun in recovery
Resources mentioned:
· Clear Fork Academy — admissions & info: clearforkacademy.com (ages 13–17; boys & girls campuses; 90-day track; family intensives; charter-school academics; Texas-based outpatient/virtual within TX).
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Chapters
1. 10 Years of the Show (00:00:00)
2. Opening: Why teen crises feel different for parents (00:01:00)
3. Meet Austin Davis & Clear Fork Academy overview (5,000+ teens served) (00:02:39)
4. From youth pastor calling to licensed counselor (00:04:57)
5. Catch them at 12–14: building a teen-focused program (00:07:54)
6. Connecting without “having used”: shared pain vs. substances (00:10:20)
7. Staying open through COVID; demand spikes; staffing realities (00:13:07)
8. Adding a girls’ campus; expanding capacity (00:14:38)
9. “Clinically based & Christ-centered”: medical + counseling backbone (00:15:36)
10. Nationwide admissions; why getting teens out of environment helps (00:16:34)
11. Age range 13–17; housing by age cohort; 90-day design (00:17:42)
12. Insurance & single-case agreements; accessibility (00:18:41)
13. Three uniques: Christ-centered, family-focused, long-ish term (00:19:42)
14. On-campus charter school; credits via UT Austin; grads on site (00:21:21)
15. Outpatient + PHP; virtual care within Texas only (00:24:25)
16. Why he wrote My Kid, My Crisis; stories + practical tools (00:26:05)
17. Sponsor: Maryland Pickers (junk removal & dumpsters) — 443-206-1859 (00:28:28)
18. A day-74 breakthrough: prayer, memory, and a life turning point (00:29:34)
19. Alumni community & quarterly gatherings (60–70 attending) (00:34:30)
20. “It’s cool to be depressed?” reframing identity language (00:35:30)
21. Social media as jet fuel for anxiety, depression, and risk (00:38:25)
22. People, places, and things: early warning signs for parents (00:40:23)
23. The power of tech-free family dinner & car-ride talks (00:41:36)
24. Post-treatment tools: routines, planning quarters with your kids (00:45:17)
25. Austin’s own mental-health pillars: fitness, faith, fun (00:47:55)
26. What teens taught him about grace and starting again (00:52:28)
27. If you feel hopeless: don’t wait; ask for help early (00:53:06)
28. Lightning round: fear of failure and “one screw at a time” (00:54:31)
29. Where to get the book; closing thanks & supporters (00:56:22)
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