The family atmosphere makes visiting the Hassela Collective a bit like going home. Photo: Cari Simmons

It has been nearly 40 years since K-A Westerberg, his wife, Gunsan, and family left their comfortable home in a Stockholm suburb for the wilderness of northern Hälsingland to start a home for wayward youngsters.

Founded in 1969, the Hassela Collective was one of the first treatment centers in Sweden for young substance abusers. Over the years, the collective has met with both praise and criticism, but thanks to the dedication of Westerberg and his staff, it has managed to weather controversy despite changing trends, governments, and generations.

Heartfelt group

In another place, the so-called “students” of the Hassela Collective would be called inmates or patients, but here the goal really is to learn — especially about themselves. In contrast to many other treatment centers, the youngsters at Hassela are rarely medicated. The students follow a program that consists of school, exercise and the Hassela methodology, which is based on cognitive behavioral therapy. They must abstain from alcohol, drugs and sex.

Kenneth Engström has been Superintendent of the Hassela Collective since Westerberg retired in 2006 at the age of 77. He came to Hassela fresh out of teachers college 12 years ago, and Westerberg was his mentor. He describes the Hassela Collective as “tough and direct, but with a big heart.”

Hassela's "students" enjoy calm surroundings and a golf course. Photo: Cari Simmons

“For me, it is about giving young people the knowledge they need for society and the ability to lead themselves. There is a framework with clear rules; we engage in a lot of discussion; and we help prepare the students for a return to society.”

Re-learning some basics

Those who come to Hassela have a history of substance abuse, behavioral problems and often crime. They are 15 to 20 years old and ethnically diverse. Most of them are at the collective against their will, yet there are no locks here — except on office and storage space and the well-stocked kitchen fridge.

There are a number of other things that stand out: the staff at Hassela live on the premises and share meals with the students; parents are encouraged to visit, as long as they are alcohol and drug-free; and the students are surprisingly well behaved and well mannered.

There is an emphasis on being considerate of others and on maintaining an orderly environment based on the assumption that eliminating external chaos will help internally. “Many teens have missed out on how to do that,” says Gabrielle, who recently started working at the Hassela Collective. “They have lost a few years to drinking and drugs and may have forgotten how to act in society, so we are helping them fill in the gaps.”

One of the most striking aspects of the Hassela Collective — at least on first impression — is the physical environment. The treatment center is situated on a golf course where the students are welcome to play next to a lake, forests and popular ski slopes. The main building is housed in an immaculate old farmhouse, with accommodation that is spacious and homey. The students have their own rooms.

Elin says her time at the Hassela Collective is the best thing that's happened to her. Photo: Cari Simmons

Residents are encouraged to participate in sports and other pastimes off the premises as well. Like responsible parents, the staff spend a good part of their time ferrying students to and from nearby towns — school for some, yoga lessons for others, Alcohol Anonymous meetings for most, therapy and urine tests for all.

Points and privileges

There are plenty of rules though and the collective, which says its success rate is 60–70 percent, has a rigid schedule. Follow the rules and you earn points and privileges, for example trips to the cinema, bowling excursions, visits to a solarium, even parachuting (if you have enough points). Ignore the rules and privileges are revoked.

Elin, a friendly and articulate 18-year-old who arrived at the Hassela Collective six months ago, misses her family and friends, her cell phone and the internet. “I also miss being alone and not having any demands made on me,” she says.

Yet despite being scheduled to leave in a few weeks, she would prefer to stay a while longer and continue her therapy, which she feels has changed her life for the better. “Before coming here I was very impulsive, but now I have more control over my impulses. I was angry in the beginning and didn’t want help, but something released inside me and I suddenly got motivated. Coming here is the best thing that has happened to me. I feel alert and I’m thinking differently. I feel really good now,” she says.

Society benefits

In a few days Elin will be speaking to teenagers at a nearby school about her experiences and how she got hooked on drinking and drugs. “It’s amazing how quickly it all spirals downward and how easily one thing leads to another. That’s what I want to warn others about,” she says.

Treating wayward youngsters costs Swedish taxpayers a lot of kronor — about SEK 3,500 (USD 500) a day — but Kenneth Engström says it is money well spent. “The government isn’t always so willing to spend the money and there is increasing pressure on organizations like ours to be more effective, but getting a young person back on track is well worth the expense.”

Mali, a staff member who moved to Sweden from Iran 15 years ago, praises the resources at Hassela. “Where I’m from there’s no help for young people unless the families can afford to pay for it themselves. It’s a tragedy. But here in Sweden, troubled youngsters get a second chance.”

Cari Simmons

Cari Simmons’ visit to Hassela was particularly memorable due to the staff’s dedication and the openness of the students. Her thoughts are with these adolescents who she hopes will be successful in “kicking the habit.”

The author alone is responsible for the opinions expressed in this article.

Classification: A270EN