Treatment FAQ

how do counselors help with an aftercare treatment program

by Kamille Osinski Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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After you complete a formal treatment program, you should engage in some form of aftercare to receive support so you can stay abstinent. Some of the ways you might participate in aftercare include: Individual counseling, where you work one-on-one with a therapist to receive support and continue working on your goals.

The Role of the Counselor in Addiction Recovery
  • Create a Therapeutic Alliance with Patients. ...
  • Encourage Patient Recovery. ...
  • Help Patients Develop a Relapse Prevention Plan. ...
  • Meet With Family Members to Provide Guidance. ...
  • Refer Patients to Outside Support Groups.

Full Answer

What is aftercare for addiction?

Some of the ways you might participate in aftercare include: Individual counseling, where you work one-on-one with a therapist to receive support and continue working on your goals. Group therapy, where, under the guidance of a counselor, you work with others who are in …

What is a continuing aftercare plan for drug recovery?

Oct 13, 2021 · Transitioning to an outpatient program or meeting with a therapist can help you continue to address these issues. Outpatient counseling or therapy can also help you work through mental health issues and assist you in developing a relapse prevention plan, improving communication with family members, and even finding a job.

What is aftercare and why is it important?

Patients in our aftercare program routinely participate in both counseling as well as in other activities that will help prepare them for their lives after the …

Can counseling help treat drug addiction?

Feb 03, 2017 · Aftercare programs can create programs to help the person: Build new social networks. Improve current relationships. Engage in healthy relationships. Find community involvement. Aftercare Staffing. Even if the principles of an aftercare treatment program are strong, there are ways for it to be ineffective.

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What is the purpose of aftercare and why do you think is important?

Aftercare is the part of treatment that comes after a person finishes their program in a higher level of treatment. It is the collective plan to support an individual during their early recovery and help them prevent relapse while working on their new life.Dec 16, 2021

Why is aftercare planning important?

A successful aftercare plan provides support during ongoing recovery through proven practices and habits to help a sober individual stay motivated moving forward on the sobriety journey.Oct 28, 2018

What are the responsibilities of a substance abuse counselor?

What does a substance abuse counselor do?Meeting with clients to evaluate their health and substance problem.Identifying issues and create goals and treatment plans.Teaching clients coping mechanisms.Helping clients find jobs or reestablish their career.Leading group therapy sessions.More items...

What does an aftercare plan look like?

Aftercare is a plan to support someone in their early recovery, prevent relapse, and help them as they work toward their life goals. An aftercare plan includes activities, interventions, and resources to help a recovering person cope with triggers, stress, and cravings that they may face when treatment is over.Oct 13, 2021

What are the aftercare services?

What is Aftercare? 'Aftercare' refers to services that help recovering drug-dependent persons to adapt to everyday community life, after completing earlier phases of treatment and rehabilitation. It provides an opportunity to address important issues and problems associated with abstinence and recovery.

What is healthcare aftercare?

Aftercare is the care given to a patient after her release from the hospital or another health care facility.

What are the duties and responsibilities of a counselor?

A counselor is a qualified individual who uses counseling methods to help people manage and overcome mental and emotional issues. Their duties include listening to patients, developing treatment plans, and creating coping strategies. They work in mental health facilities, hospitals, and schools.

What is Counselling used for?

Counselling is a type of talking therapy that allows a person to talk about their problems and feelings in a confidential and dependable environment. A counsellor is trained to listen with empathy (by putting themselves in your shoes). They can help you deal with any negative thoughts and feelings you have.

Are counseling and therapy the same thing?

Counseling is also usually more short-term than therapy. Psychotherapy is more long-term than counseling and focuses on a broader range of issues. The underlying principle is that a person's patterns of thinking and behavior affect the way that person interacts with the world.Dec 8, 2021

What is a relapse prevention plan for substance abuse?

A relapse prevention plan consists of techniques, measures, and tools to help you avoid relapses during and after substance use disorder treatment, so that you can maintain sobriety.

What does long-term recovery mean?

A person is considered in long-term recovery or remission when they have stopped or moderated their substance use and improved their quality of life for at least five years. The early stages of crisis stabilization are past, the damage drug use has inflicted is undergoing repair, and a “normal” life is being built.Aug 14, 2018

What is aftercare in addiction?

Addiction recovery is a long-term process that continues after treatment is over. Aftercare is any type of ongoing care you receive after you leave rehab. The most common forms are 12-step meetings, outpatient care, counseling, and sober living. Developing an aftercare plan allows you to anticipate future challenges to your sobriety ...

Why is it important to have an aftercare plan?

Having an aftercare plan is important because many people face difficulties when transitioning out of treatment. The risk of relapse is highest in the first few months after someone leaves rehab. 1 Between 40% and 60% of people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction experience a relapse at some point in time.

Why is sober housing important?

Having stable and sober housing is an important component of addiction recovery. Living in an environment with drugs and alcohol can lead to cravings and urges to use, which may be difficult to control. If you are concerned about your living environment, you may benefit from sober living after treatment.

What is aftercare plan?

Aftercare is a plan to support someone in their early recovery, prevent relapse, and help them as they work toward their life goals. 1. An aftercare plan includes activities, interventions, and resources to help a recovering person cope with triggers, stress, and cravings that they may face when treatment is over.

How to prevent relapse in addiction?

Developing an aftercare plan in early recovery can help prevent a relapse by providing you with support and allowing you to continue to work on issues surrounding your addiction. Once you feel established in your sobriety, you can also begin to give back to others who are newly sober.

How long does aftercare last?

Most programs recommend that a person stay actively engaged in follow-up or aftercare for at least 1 year, and adolescents may need follow-up care for longer periods. 3.

How to avoid relapse?

But taking certain steps can reduce the risk of relapse. To avoid relapse, consider: Attending recovery meetings. Going to and participating in recovery meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous regularly can provide you with extra support to avoid a re lapse.

What is aftercare in addiction?

At its core, aftercare should be considered a type of continued treatment, which immediately follows a relatively shorter period of addiction treatment care , such as inpatient rehab or intensive outpatient treatment.

What is aftercare in rehab?

A quality inpatient rehab program will tailor a set of aftercare requirements and goals for each patient, based on discharge evaluation and specific patient needs. In some cases, such as court-ordered treatment, diversion or other work/employment drug and alcohol assistance programs, aftercare participation is mandatory and closely monitored. While they may be involuntary in some cases, treatment and aftercare are no less effective because of it.

How to prevent relapse after treatment?

It is important to pay close attention to a patient’s post-treatment time interval, for it is during this crucial period that strides made during recovery are reinforced. There are many different kinds of aftercare treatment options which can help prevent relapse and expand upon the coping strategies learned during rehabilitation. They are as follows: 1 Outpatient treatment: The individual lives at home while attending treatment a few times a week when it is convenient for him or her.#N#Group counseling: The patient will listen to and share experiences associated with addiction and work to build social and coping skills in a group setting.#N#Individual therapy: The patient will meet one-on-one with a therapist to build upon progress made during initial treatment. 2 12-step programs: Fellowship programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), provide support and encouragement for the individual on the road to recovery.

How many people use aftercare?

Unfortunately, only about half of people utilize aftercare services and even fewer people complete their aftercare programs. If you are planning on entering or leaving a treatment program, make sure to plan ahead and have an aftercare program in place.

Why is it important to find a supportive environment?

It’s important to find a supportive environment to continually assist you in avoiding temptation. This involves the members of the support system removing any mind-altering substances from the home, avoiding using intoxicating substances in front of the recovering individual, and encouraging full compliance with the aftercare plan.

Do Aftercare Programs Really Work?

Addiction patients who participate in aftercare problems can significantly improve their chances of remaining free of addiction. In these programs, patients also learn how to cope with the variety of issues they will likely have to face in the outside world.

About Our Program

We believe, once an addiction patient has sufficiently improved in an acute care facility, that this person should not only be discharged but also be referred to an aftercare program, where they can continue the healing process and be in an environment where they can live a substance-free life.

What is aftercare program?

Any aftercare program that allows the client to attend treatment during the day and return home at night is called outpatient treatment . This option may be best for people who work, have childcare responsibilities, or personal support that makes recovery possible without the intensity of residential treatment.

What is aftercare in addiction?

There are many types of addiction aftercare programs. These programs cover a range of options that vary based on the intensity, setting, staffing, and duration of treatment. The appropriate type of aftercare will depend greatly on your individual symptoms, needs, and status following completion of an initial rehab program.

What is the goal of addiction aftercare?

No matter the setting, treatment provider, or methods used, the goals of addiction aftercare programs are the same and include: To maintain recovery from substance abuse. To find ways to prevent relapse. To achieve a life filled with rewarding relationships and a sense of purpose.

What is sober residence?

Sober Residences. For people who started treatment with inpatient services, some form of sober residence could be an appropriate aftercare option. Sober residences may be most appropriate for people with risk y home living situations or those who lack strong supports outside of treatment.

Why do we need to do a detox protocol?

Whether or not medications are involved, all formal detox protocols are conducted to allow for the safe, comfortable clearance of substances and their toxic influence from the systems of people in early recovery from drug or alcohol addiction.

How many times a week do you have to go to an IOP?

This will include individual and group therapy. Intensive outpatient programs (IOP)—with appointments two or more times per week that last for 3 hours, IOP can focus on addiction and mental health care. Individual and/or group therapy —regularly-scheduled hour long sessions that occur weekly, biweekly, or monthly.

How many people receive treatment for substance abuse?

According to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), only about 11% of people who needed treatment for substance abuse received it.

What is aftercare in addiction?

What is an Aftercare Program? In the field of addiction treatment, the term “aftercare” or “continuing care” is used to mean the stage of treatment that occurs after completing a program of more intensive treatment. Active involvement in an aftercare program after completing an intensive rehabilitation program for a substance use disorder (SUD) ...

What is the aftercare phase?

After completing the initial program, many people enter a phase known as aftercare. At this time, this phase is more commonly referred to as “continuing care” because it puts across the idea that active treatment continues in this phase.

How long does aftercare last?

Aftercare can last from a few months to the rest of your life. An individual in recovery will typically meet with their healthcare provider to reconsider their progress and treatment after a certain amount of time. As treatment continues, some of the treatments might be reduced or even eliminated.

What is dual diagnosis?

With that in mind, the dual diagnosis works to treat all problems that will help the individual maintain their recovery.

How to recover from chronic illness?

In any chronic illness, you begin with a treatment plan and once it is under control, you move into the maintenance phase. You can achieve lifelong recovery with the right maintenance. In fact, recovery starts with aftercare—the continued outpatient treatment after leaving detox in a treatment facility.

What are some peer support groups for recovery?

These include SMART (Self-Management And Recovery Training) recovery groups and Rational Recovery. These are popular for people who are not comfortable with the spiritual aspects of AA and NA.

How long does it take for a drug addict to return to regular use?

However, the actual duration was around 30 days. For a lot of people, addiction is a relapsing condition that lasts for years after being diagnosed. It has been found that 40-60% of people treated for alcohol or other drug addiction return to regular use within a year following treatment.

Drug Recovery is a Lifelong Commitment

Once discharged readjusting to everyday life can be difficult and stressful. Because it’s common to relapse back into old patterns within the first few months post-treatment, a continuing aftercare plan is crucial to the overall drug recovery process.

What is Aftercare?

Aftercare, also known as continuing care, is a stage that occurs after completion of a treatment program.

Discharge Plans

Soon after admission, the primary therapist and treatment team collaboratively work with clients to begin development of strong, customized discharge plans to help maintain sobriety. These plans are continually refined and tailored, as appropriate, with treatment progression.

Alumni

At AAC, our commitment to our clients does not end at discharge. Essential to the aftercare process, clients are encouraged to participate in our alumni program to remain connected and receive ongoing support for continued drug recovery.

Our Alumni Program

Clients are encouraged to participate in our alumni program to remain connected and receive ongoing support for continued drug recovery. Addiction Recovery Alumni

Aftercare FAQs

Not only will we work with you during treatment to address your particular concerns, relapse prevention needs and maintenance techniques, we will also do our best to help you strengthen your aftercare/discharge plan so you are as ready as possible for the next step in your addiction recovery.

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