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KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- For some kids recovering from substance abuse in rural areas, it’s nearly impossible to get to a counseling center.

Preferred Family Healthcare in Kirksville is one of the only groups in the country to try out a new program called “The Portal.”

Adolescents are given a laptop.

They communicate with other teens going through similar substance abuse problems and also talk with counselors entirely in a virtual world.

The seven kids involved have all finished residential treatment.

“Some of our kids have reported it’s even easier to talk and open up and be completely honest about their issues because they are not directly having to face someone,” Adolescent Program Director Kathy Hoppe said.

Via computer, we asked one of the adolescents about the program. All names are kept confidential, but the adolescent told us, “We interact with others in this program knowing that they don’t know who we really are. We can be open and say things we wouldn’t be able to say in a real world group. We can express ourselves freely without thinking someone is judging us.”