According to the National Institute of Health, more than 8 million children younger than age 18 live with at least one adult who has a substance use disorder. Locally, Camp Mariposa works with youth that are affected by the substance use disorder of a family member, focusing on addiction prevention through mentorship and its weekend camp, offered six times a year.
A Youth Drug Prevention Camp
Camp Mariposa is run through Aaron’s Place of Overdose Lifeline Inc. and is part of the Eluna Network. Aaron’s Place was founded in 2021 by Justin Phillips, and the core of the program is an emphasis on education around substance use and its consequences, as well as building strong mentor/mentee relationships.
“Camp Mariposa is a program that we have in Indiana and Indianapolis for children ages 9 to 12 who are affected by the substance use disorder of a family member,” says Justin Phillips, executive director and CEO/founder of Overdose Lifeline. “The program is a year-long engagement that uses mentors, and everything we do at Camp Mariposa is free. We have therapeutic interventions for these youth, as well as fun. We’re camping, so it’s fun!”
In addition to substance use disorder education, campers also participate in traditional camp activities, such as gaga ball, swimming and creek stomping. Campers also write a letter to addiction, telling addiction how they feel and how it has affected their lives.
“We do talk openly at camp about addiction,” Phillips says. “We teach the children that addiction is not their fault, that they didn’t cause it, they can’t cure it and they can’t control it, but there are a few things that they can do for themselves. We teach them resiliency tools and we are all trained in trauma-informed care. The mentors have been through rigorous training on how to address trauma in youth.”
What makes Camp Mariposa so unique is the community campers have. They make friends with others who have similar life experiences they’ve had and can talk about, which they cannot get anywhere else.
“This camp provides kids with a community that they don’t otherwise have,” Phillips says. “They cannot go to school and talk about these very heavy things that are happening in their life. We are giving them the opportunity to have tools and community that they would not normally have, and they will go on to have a different experience in high school. This program is proven to reduce substance use disorder amongst adolescents and juvenile justice involvement.”
Registering for Camp
More information about Camp Mariposa can be found online at aaronsplace.org/camp-mariposa. The camp is only available to kids ages 9-12 years old. Families who are interested in registering their child for the camp can go to the website and fill out an application, and then undergo an interview with the camp clinical director and camp director. Phillips hopes that parents and caregivers who have found their way to recovery or understand that substance use disorder affects their child register for the camp.
