Recovery is just a phone call away. We’re here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call (352) 771-2700
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Recovery is just a phone call away. We’re here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call (352) 771-2700
Aftercare and sober living programs promote self-efficacy, coping skills and relapse prevention in long-term recovery.
Effective drug and alcohol rehabilitation creates healthy and sustainable habits. While the resulting changes in body, mind and spirit can be profound, these changes are also fragile in the early stages of recovery. Aftercare services help you maintain the coping skills you learned in rehab so you can continue to build a healthy, fulfilling life after graduating from a recovery program.
Even for individuals who are dedicated to recovery, return to drug or alcohol use is common. Studies show that rates of return to drug and alcohol use among adults and teenagers who have finished a rehab program are as high as 80%. Whether you’re struggling with alcoholism, prescription drug abuse, cannabis use or an eating disorder, studies show that recurrence is a common symptom of addictive behavior. In the period after rehab, aftercare services provide valuable support to help you stay committed to your recovery goals. Aftercare makes sober living a reality.
Our rehab centers help men and women who are struggling with addictions, substance abuse and mental health disorders. We also provide treatment exclusively to International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) members at our Maryland facility, the IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery.
Aftercare planning is one of the many ways in which the treatment of addiction mirrors the treatment of any chronic condition. An aftercare plan is, in many ways, similar to a discharge plan from hospitalization to treat a chronic condition like asthma or heart failure. In the treatment of chronic medical conditions and substance use disorders, aftercare planning must include:
Aftercare is far from an “afterthought” to acute care — it’s one of the most important stages of the rehab process. It allows for the creation of strategies for relapse prevention and for the development of coping skills. Technically, aftercare begins once you’ve completed a recovery program and are ready to make the transition back to your community. In reality, the aftercare phase of recovery begins from the time you enter treatment. Even as you go through drug or alcohol detox and rehab, your treatment team will work on identifying the tools and skills that you’ll need to be successful after you finish the program. Therapists and staff with thorough knowledge of a program’s resources can usher clients through the process of setting up schedules, contacts and effective treatment regimens for ongoing support after completing treatment.
Once initiated, aftercare can continue for as long as you’re committed to a healthy, meaningful life in recovery. People who stay abstinent and sober after rehab often attribute their success to participation in aftercare services like mutual support groups, 12-step meetings, alumni organizations or volunteer activities that support sobriety. These activities can help you stay connected to other people who share your goals and values and can motivate and inspire you as you create the future you really want.
There are many ways to maintain the connectivity and accountability needed to increase the chances of treatment success after completing acute care. Participation in aftercare programs can begin occurring as a client is winding down treatment, after a client resumes work or school or at other times, though it is usually recommended that clients begin aftercare immediately after acute care ends. Many of the aftercare programs described can take place concurrently.
For many patients undergoing drug and alcohol rehab, recovery begins in an intensive inpatient program or a residential facility. These structured environments provide 24-hour monitoring and supervision, making it easier to avoid the stress of everyday life as you focus on detoxifying and healing your body. After finishing a residential or inpatient program, your treatment team may recommend that you transition to a more flexible, less structured outpatient recovery center. In an outpatient program, you can continue to receive scheduled services like counseling, group support, and medication management while living and working in your community.
Case managers can be some of your most valuable allies throughout the recovery process. Their role becomes especially important in discharge and aftercare, as you prepare to re-enter the world outside the rehab facility. Case managers act as advocates, guides, counselors and supporters. They can help you identify health care providers in your community, navigate your way through the legal system, or find affordable housing and childcare.
Cost should not prevent you from getting the help you need. Using insurance for rehab can significantly reduce your cost for treatment. Our online verification form allows you to instantly check if your benefits will cover treatment at The Recovery Village.
Our online insurance verification tool is HIPAA-compliant, so your information stays completely confidential.
Aftercare builds self-efficacy, and self-efficacy protects against relapse. Even people who have made consistent and dedicated recovery efforts have high rates of return to drug and alcohol use, but participation in aftercare programs has been repeatedly demonstrated to lower relapse rates.
For people who are beginning a life of recovery, aftercare provides the necessary support for sobriety to help people:
Recovery from drug or alcohol addiction takes time and dedication. Even the searching for aftercare or sober living programs takes time. For help finding recovery meetings near you, check out the local rehab resources finder on The Recovery Village.
Aftercare can ensure that the progress made in acute treatment is sustained and integrated into a satisfying life strategy. With proper planning and support, you can increase your chances at meaningful recovery.
Find The Recovery Village Drug, Alcohol and Mental Health Rehab nearest you.
Ramo, Danielle and Brown, Sandra. “Classes of substance abuse relapse situa[…]lescents and adults.” Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, September 2008. Accessed July 24, 2019.
Dennis M, Scott CK. “Managing addiction as a chronic condition.” Addiction Science and Clinical Practice, December 2007. Accessed July 25, 2019.
Polcin DL, Korcha R, Bond J, Galloway G. “What did we learn from our study on sobe[…] do we go from here?” Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, December 2010. Accessed July 25, 2019.
Kadden RM, Litt MD. “The role of self-efficacy in the treatme[…]tance use disorders.” Addictive Behavior, December 2011. Accessed July 25, 2019
McKay, JR. “Continuing care research: what we have l[…] where we are going.” Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, March 2009. Accessed July 25, 2019
Saitz R, Larson MJ, Labelle C, Richardson J, Samet JH. “The case for chronic disease management for addiction.” Journal of Addiction Medicine, June 1, 2008. Accessed July 25, 2019.
The Recovery Village aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.
The Recovery Village aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.
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