A Word about Continuing Care
Sober Living by the Sea is unique in that we offer several levels of continuing care. While many of our clients come here for their first treatment, others arrive here after completing a 30 day treatment program eslewhere in order to extend their care in an open community to strengthen their sobriety A powerful milestone is 1 year of recovery which is an excellent indicator of prolonged recovery.
BY: Tanya DesLoover
MA CADCII MFT Intern
Sober Living by the Sea is unique in that we offer several levels of continuing care. While many of our clients come here for their first treatment, others arrive here after completing a 30 day treatment program eslewhere in order to extend their care in an open community to strengthen their sobriety A powerful milestone is 1 year of recovery which is an excellent indicator of prolonged recovery.
The best way to achieve this critical milestone is to gradually step down in care from residential extended care to a Transitional Work Program or a school program (like ourT.E.A.C.H. College Program)where days are spent working or at school and evenings are spent receiving continuing counseling and education. Another option might be to move out to a sober living home and continue to attend lectures and process groups at SLBTS in the evenings via the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). During this process, the client should continue to meet with a case manager weekly and also continue to be screened for drug or alcohol usage.
If a client is returning to their home state, case managers communicate with our Continuing Care Coordinator to locate IOP programs in the hometown community. Sober Living by the Sea's Continuing Care protocol also ensures that our clients have:
- an appointment with a reputable counselor/therapist specializing in substance abuse
- Addictionologist and Psychiatrist contact information
- 12-Step Program meeting directory
- contact information for sober living homes in the hometown area
Our Continuing Care Coordinator contacts the various services and enjoys building cooperative relationships with other addiction industry professionals.
I like to recommend that a client continue to meet with a therapist regularly until they have two years of sobriety. Of course, during this time, the client should continue to attend 12-step support group meetings and work with their sponsor on the 12 Steps. I say it is always better to stay in treatment longer from the start, than to be on your own too soon and have to start all over again if a relapse should occur.
