The Importance of Rehab Aftercare

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With as many as half of all people who successfully participate in a residential rehab relapsing within the first year of completion, the necessity for quality and substantial aftercare programming becomes apparent, and it is shown that the longer the participation in aftercare, the better the likelihood of long term sobriety.

Drug rehab aftercare refers to continuing treatment offered to the recovering addict after the completion of residential rehab. Aftercare programming can vary greatly depending on the needs of the addict in recovery, but at least some participation in aftercare must be considered a priority, and families should be very wary of considering a rehab facility that does not offer continuing care after release.

The initial period after release from a facility, and back into an environment of temptation and access to drugs and alcohol, is fraught with the risk of relapse, and continuing case management helps to guide addicts through this initially very dangerous period, and throughout the very risky first year of sobriety.

Drug rehab aftercare may mean 2 or 3 weekly group sessions within the rehab environment with other recovering addicts newly released into temptation, and it may also include weekly sessions with a psychologist or therapist to continue working through a recovery and relapse prevention plan, and to develop plans to best apply the lessons of rehab to the realities of life on the outside.

Some recovering addicts may have a need for more intensive and intrusive drug rehab aftercare programming, and for some, aftercare may mean access to safe and sober housing and some form of supervision and management in this housing (halfway house), it may mean work release or supervised employment opportunities or other forms of social assistance designed to minimize the life stresses that can increases the probability of relapse.

At the most intensive level, aftercare may mean a continuing live in presence within the rehab facility, and some patients have the opportunity to work as recovery guides within the facility; in exchange for room and board, a nominal salary, and continuing access to the therapeutic and safe environment of rehab.

Patients with dual mental health diagnosis' have the greatest need for continuing case management, and often the above described rehab aftercare programming will be combined with the efforts of a public health case worker, who checks in on the recovering addict to ensure compliance with medications, and to intervene should any problems arise.