What is AfterCare?
Aftercare is the time period after someone leaves substance abuse treatment. It is actually a very important piece in the recovery process because, without the proper care, the client can return to the same environment that lead them to addiction in the first place. Today there is little to no standard for aftercare. What it has really amounted to over the years is a glorified marketing buzzword. More often than not, it’s an “Alumni Coordinator” who will touch base with clients every few months after leaving treatment to see if they have relapsed and would like to return to treatment. This unethical practice has become so pervasive in the treatment industry, that the term “revolving door” was coined. Centers have been caught, inducing clients to relapse after the completion of their treatment, and some even diving into more flagrant offenses. Certainly, these are the worst of the worst, and not all do this; but even most treatment centers do not provide the appropriate aftercare needed to sustain a lasting recovery. This is beneficial for the industry, but not the clients. Backing away from the purely negative, even centers coming from a morally sound place have a hard time creating an aftercare program that truly provides on-going resources, structure, and foundation for long-term recovery. How can you remove someone from their old life, with all the inherent psycho-social stressors, financial obstacles, and community issues while also providing them with ongoing clinical care? It can be done, but it becomes incredibly expensive. It’s an enormous task to attempt to accommodate all of these things logistically and implement them in a business with practicality. We believe we have done this at Coalition Recovery with our extensive aftercare strategies, relapse prevention therapy, and The Renaissance Program. We also have specialized programs designed specifically for collegiate students struggling with substance abuse - the renaissance program is a large aspect of our student rehab program.
What is the Renaissance Program?
The core theorem is that higher education, in all capacities, can serve as a catalyst for long-term recovery. The encompassing idea is that there are so many resources available in the world right now that are largely underutilized, and it’s our goal to connect those resources. We have specialized personnel whose specific job is connecting and implementing these unknown and mostly convoluted resources. Higher education opens the door to a new community, new opportunities, and a new self-image. All three are key to creating an environment in which an individual can thrive while reducing the chance of relapse.
So specifically how does the Renaissance program work to accomplish those goals?
The push towards higher education begins during the start of treatment at Coalition Recovery. We create clearly defined benchmarks and pathways with clinical support, continuums of care, and an ever engaging community to support you. We accomplish this through G.E.D programs, and structured pathways to vocational, community colleges, and Universities.
What we mean by, Structured Pathway?
“you can lay the bricks, but it’s up to the individual to walk the path.” An example of the Renaissance program using a University Pathway. First and foremost, we need to gain admittance, so through our Renaissance Case Management, we first determine the goal: obtaining a G.E.D, obtaining an A.A for a direct connect program, etc. Then we navigate the various financial and logistical challenges - how to apply for financial aid, affordable housing, food stamps, whatever may be necessary. Once on campus, it’s rather straightforward. We want to connect our clients with the best resources available, so beyond the alumni, we maintain through our own clinical contacts and case management, we connect clients to a recovery community on the college themselves. This creates structured programming, such as weekly AA meetings, group therapy, recovery clubs, etc. meeting like-minded individuals in recovery and growing a healthy personal community. The most important aspect in our opinion however: we also connect our clinicians with the clinicians at the client’s respected schools, providing a continuity of care that is the first of its kind. When it is all said and done, the individual is placed in an environment of supportive friends, structured meetings, clinical care, and working towards a degree, improving a self-image. It compounds and compounds and ultimately becomes a true aftercare program. It’s innovative and different, and it’s something we feel profoundly compelled to pioneer.
Does the program only work in Florida?
Developing relationships, combined with a myriad of resources and strategies is half of the Renaissance Program. We can apply these techniques to any school because most schools have the same resources. If they don’t we work with the school and develop them. We will also help our clients connect with the appropriate people of said school, whether that is the admissions officer or just past alumni who have graduated from our treatment.
As a new program entering the treatment space, how do we see the Renaissance program growing?
We want to share the Renaissance program with as many people as we can because we believe it will be an integral part in helping to curb this drug epidemic. No one treatment center will solve the opioid epidemic - in fact, treatment centers aren’t going to solve the epidemic. It will be a combination of government intervention, higher education institutions, companies, and individuals coming together in a combined effort for a single purpose. We see the Renaissance program helping to change the stigmatism against individuals in recovery; the way institutions and companies handle substance abuse issues, rather than closing their doors, firing employees or expelling students, they’ll start connecting them with resources available to overcome these challenges; and as individuals, we need to take a personal responsibility and hold ourselves and our loved ones accountable. In short - we want to create a societal shift, and we think our Renaissance Program can help start that, so we want to share it and have others create similar programs.
Addiction is a disease, but there is help. If you or anyone you know needs help, don’t hesitate to reach out – that’s why we’re here. (888) 707-2873 | Coalition Recovery offers an incredible clinical program for drug and substance abuse and is innovating a new approach to aftercare through higher education increasing the chance of achieving long-term recovery. Don’t wait. A better tomorrow starts here. Because Tomorrow Matters.