Published TUESDAY June 4, 2024: 'Fentanyl Frontline' by ZUMA Partner newspaper The Albuquerque Journal photo-journalist Chancey Bush and story by staff writer Matthew Reisen: Several teens in recovery illustrate their addiction using colored pencils in a room at Serenity Mesa Youth Recovery Center in Albuquerque. Maddie, 18, uses a sharpie to write words like ''manipulator,'' ''loss'' and ''save me'' in jagged letters swirling around a girl covering her eyes. All of the teens at Serenity Mesa had to detox, often undergoing serious withdrawals, in a mental hospital or jail cell. At first glance, you wouldn't guess most of them have already been homeless, locked in a jail cell, overdosed on drugs and seen someone die from an overdose or shooting. Jennifer Weiss-Burke, executive director at the 14-bed facility in New Mexico, said the hurdles faced by youth suffering from an addiction are many. the state ranks second worst in the nation for youth suffering from a mental illness and among the worst for youth suffering from an addiction. Welcome to 'Fentanyl Frontline'
© zReportage.com Issue #942 Story of the Week: Published TUESDAY June 4, 2024: 'Fentanyl Frontline' by ZUMA Partner newspaper The Albuquerque Journal photo-journalist Chancey Bush and story by staff writer Matthew Reisen: Several teens in recovery illustrate their addiction using colored pencils in a room at Serenity Mesa Youth Recovery Center in Albuquerque. Maddie, 18, uses a sharpie to write words like ''manipulator,'' ''loss'' and ''save me'' in jagged letters swirling around a girl covering her eyes. All of the teens at Serenity Mesa had to detox, often undergoing serious withdrawals, in a mental hospital or jail cell. At first glance, you wouldn't guess most of them have already been homeless, locked in a jail cell, overdosed on drugs and seen someone die from an overdose or shooting. Jennifer Weiss-Burke, executive director at the 14-bed facility in New Mexico, said the hurdles faced by youth suffering from an addiction are many. the state ranks second worst in the nation for youth suffering from a mental illness and among the worst for youth suffering from an addiction. Welcome to 'Fentanyl Frontline'

DAVID BURKE, director of programming and facilities at Serenity Mesa Recovery Center, stands at the old administration building the center hopes to turn into a youth medical detox facility on the campus in Southwest Albuquerque.
© Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal via ZUMA Press Wire

JENNIFER WEISS-BURKE is the executive director at Serenity Mesa, a treatment center in Albuquerque. ''When you actually are in the real world, dealing with these issues and dealing with these kids that need help, that are very much 'here today, gone tomorrow,' every little bit counts,'' Weiss-Burke said. She lost her own son at 18 to an overdose in 2011.
© Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal via ZUMA Press Wire

Serenity Mesa Recovery Center in Albuquerque, N.M. A study ranked New Mexico among the worst in the nation for youth suffering from mental illness or substance use disorder.
© Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal via ZUMA Press Wire

JJ, 17, stands in her room at Serenity Mesa Recovery Center in Albuquerque. JJ began using fentanyl at 10-years-old. 'I believe juvenile justice systems could actually be more therapeutic than making kids feel that they are criminals' said JJ.
© Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal via ZUMA Press Wire

JJ, 17, right, reaches for scissors during a group session at Serenity Mesa Recovery Center in Albuquerque. JJ began using fentanyl at age 10. This group of teens in recovery illustrate what their addiction looks like during an exercise on Wednesday at Serenity Mesa Recovery Center.
© Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal via ZUMA Press Wire

TRENT VARNER, who grew up in Hobbs, is in recovery from a fentanyl addition at Serenity Mesa Recovery Center in Southwest Albuquerque. In New Mexico, 1,215 people have died from a fentanyl overdose since 2019.
© Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal via ZUMA Press Wire

Teens express what their addiction led to during a group session at Serenity Mesa Recovery Center in Albuquerque. At first glance, you wouldn't guess most of them have already been homeless, locked in a jail cell, overdosed on drugs and seen someone die from an overdose or shooting. Jennifer Weiss-Burke, executive director at the 14-bed facility in Albuquerque, said the hurdles faced by youth suffering from an addiction are many.
© Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal via ZUMA Press Wire

MADDIE, 18, sits on her bed in her room at Serenity Mesa Recovery Center in Albuquerque, N.M. The teen said her addiction didn't escalate till she was 16 and began using cocaine after she was sexual assaulted. Maddie overdosed on cocaine that was laced with fentanyl.
© Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal via ZUMA Press Wire

Serenity Mesa Recovery Center in Albuquerque, N.M. A state Legislative Finance Committee report found New Mexico ranked second worst in the nation for youth suffering from a mental illness and among the worst for youth suffering from an addiction. 'My opinion is it's just getting worse,' Weiss-Burke said. 'There's a huge lack of access to services for youth under the age of 18.'
© Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal via ZUMA Press Wire

PHOENIX, 16, sits in the common room of his dorm at Serenity Mesa Recovery Center in Albuquerque. Phoenix was using crack for a year. All of the teens at Serenity Mesa had to detox, often undergoing serious withdrawals, in a mental hospital or jail cell.
© Chancey Bush/Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal via ZUMA Press Wire

JENNIFER WEISS-BURKE, executive director of Serenity Mesa, a drug treatment center, walks into Cameron's Lodge, a dorm that sleep ten young men between the ages of 18-20. The building is named in honor of Weiss-Burke's son who died of a drug overdose when he was 18.
© Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal via ZUMA Wire

Some of the different sayings that are on the walls of the office of Jennifer Weiss-Burke, Executive Director of Serenity Mesa.
© Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal via ZUMA Press Wire

JENNIFER WEISS-BURKE, executive Director at Serenity Mesa Recovery Center who is standing infront of a mural depicting her son Cameron Weiss who died from an overdose at 18.
© Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal via ZUMA Press Wire