Discovery Place’s Continuing Care and Aftercare Programs for substance abuse provide ongoing support. Moreover, it also provides direction, and encouragement for our alumni in their first year of recovery. Providing support after formal treatment ends elevates a person’s ability to stay strong in their sobriety. For this reason, we make sure the people we treat have the opportunity to take advantage of our aftercare programs.
What is an Aftercare Program for Substance Abuse?
Aftercare programs for substance abuse act as a continuation of the treatment received by an individual via formal care. The goal is making sure a person has a plan for continuing to work on their recovery long-term. Treatment facilities with aftercare programs provide vital services needed as people transition to their regular lives.
Some aftercare programs consist of helping a patient make plans for the care they will receive after they end treatment. Suggestions can be made for what will work best for them, and staff can assist with making arrangements for it. Aftercare programs provide a healthy bridge between initial treatment and the timeframe when a person no longer receives addiction treatment. Aftercare programs prepare them to thrive when that time comes.
Benefits of Aftercare Programs
When a person briefly seeks treatment for their substance use disorder, they place themselves at risk of relapsing. Our aftercare programs for substance abuse services are committed to helping alumni accomplish sobriety throughout their first year of recovery.
Benefits of aftercare programs include:
Relapse Reduction: One of the biggest benefits of an aftercare program involves how it reduces the rate of relapse. Research demonstrates that men who stay sober for one year dramatically increase their chances of remaining sober for a lifetime.
Accountability: For many people, having check-ins fosters an elevated sense of accountability. People want to do well in recovery and enjoy reporting their progress to those who understand staying sober.
Help With Life Challenges: Once a person migrates back into their daily lives, challenges come up. Additionally, these can be related to things like jobs, schooling, relationships, and planning for the future. Fortunately, aftercare reps can help brainstorm ideas to make sound decisions that keep recovery in focus.
Knowing Someone Cares: A sense of loneliness occurs during addiction and can settle in again once a person ends treatment. Aftercare programs provide caring outreach. In turn, this increases a person’s need to know that others care about them and can provide assistance.
How Do I Know If I Need an Aftercare Program?
Aftercare programs for substance abuse can benefit just about anyone, regardless of how much time they spend on initial treatment. It proves particularly beneficial for those who only attend one treatment program. It also benefits those who attended programs for a short amount of time. People who finish detox often find temptation in thinking they have completed all necessary treatment. For them, aftercare provides a way to stay strong in their recovery once they return home.
For some, aftercare consists of moving into a sober living home. This experience allows them to road-test their sobriety. In addition, it addresses the temptations to relapse while they still live in a safe, monitored environment. A person who returns home to a living situation often needs aftercare to help them navigate stressful situations.
Aftercare programs can serve as a lifeline for coping with living with those who have addictions. Activities like ongoing individual or group therapy give them an outlet to discuss their feelings. It also instills healthy coping skills. Additionally, those who enjoy lifelong sobriety often use aftercare for months or years after leaving addiction treatment. Aftercare has no downside. Benefits include attending outpatient sessions several days a week. Additionally, they include going to a 12-Step meeting weekly, or being able to call their treatment center alumni reps.
Types of Aftercare Programs for Substance Abuse
Discovery Place incorporates aftercare programs for substance abuse into our treatment plan. This provides a blanket of care that covers patients after graduating from us. Before our 30-day residential rehab program, our staff works with guests to formulate a detailed aftercare plan.
Designed to allow our guests to sustain their sobriety, aftercare programs can consist of things like:
- 12-Step recovery meetings in their area
- Working on completing the 12 Steps
- Sponsorship
- Ongoing events and communication with Discovery Place
- Planning for peaceful activities such as meditation and prayer
For approximately one month after the 30-day program ends, our alumni receive weekly check-in calls. This helps to measure and document their progress in recovery. We offer encouragement, validation, and any needed advice or direction. Weekly phone calls serve to reinforce the recovery spirit in a man’s first thirty days outside of Discovery Place.
Once our alumni transition into their second month out of the 30-day program, our staff makes check-in calls once a month until the 90-day mark. Following that, they make one call in the 90-day to 6-month period and another phone call at the 1-year mark. We make inquiries concerning our former guests’ sobriety, document the results, and offer encouragement if needed.
In addition to providing ongoing support, our aftercare plan allows us to measure the success of our programs. We are pleased to report that over the past three years, 61% of Discovery Place alumni are sober. To add, this is a year after leaving our residential and long-term programs.
Addiction Treatment and Aftercare Programs in Nashville, TN
Drug and alcohol addiction treatment doesn’t just end as soon as formal care concludes. Aftercare programs allow individuals to continue the important work they began during treatment programs. This greatly improves their chances of staying sober for life. Contact Discovery Place in Nashville to get started with our unique program. We are proud to teach men how to embrace sobriety and remain strong in it long after they leave.
