Addiction Treatment Aftercare
Programs In Midway, Utah
What Is an Aftercare Program?
Seeking treatment for a substance or alcohol use disorder is a courageous step on your recovery journey, but there is still more work to do after completing treatment. Because addiction disorders are considered chronic illnesses, you must take care to manage addiction the same way a person might manage diabetes or high blood pressure. Addiction aftercare programs are integral to overall treatment and maintaining long-term sobriety.
Aftercare treatment is a customized plan based on each patient’s individual needs. The goal of aftercare is to help individuals transition from the safe, supervised environment of treatment back into real-world living.
A typical addiction treatment aftercare plan includes therapy, sober living accommodations, and participation in a peer support group, such as Alcoholics Anonymous. If you’re wondering how a sober living program can help, you’ll find that because aftercare programs are customized to meet each person’s needs, they may contain a variety of components including:
- Legal assistance
- Educational assistance (GED completion or help applying to educational programs)
- Housing assistance
- Vocational rehab to assist with employment
- Life skills training
- Ongoing care for physical or mental health problems
- Recreational and social activities that reinforce sober living
- Relapse prevention programs
Our aftercare programs are in keeping with the other evidence-based and whole-person therapies available at Acqua Recovery. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), the National Institutes of Health, and other respected health organizations recommend aftercare programs for addicts to reduce the risk of relapse.
When you leave Acqua Recovery, it’s not really the end of your healing. It’s the beginning.
Each client lays the foundation for a life in recovery during their stay with us, and we ensure that they continue the work to build it through our aftercare program.
Just like addiction treatment varies for each individual, so too does aftercare. We work with each individual patient to prepare for a successful life after residential treatment.
Our Addiction Aftercare Recovery Programs
Everyone deserves the continued support they need in early recovery. Meet our recovery coaches.
Our addiction recovery coaching program is truly one-of-a-kind. At Acqua, each client is teamed up with a Nationally-Certified Recovery Coach that will build a relationship of trust to support the recovery process. The coaches closely follow each client’s progress during and after treatment, providing encouragement, feedback, and the opportunity for adjustments along the way.
Reconnecting in a healthy way with other individuals is a very important part of recovery. Our recovery coaching program is a great way to create the sense of connection and accountability that fosters lasting addiction recovery.
Why Is Aftercare in Addiction Treatment Important?
The most important thing about aftercare treatment for addiction is that participation helps reduce the risk of relapse. Recent statistics confirm that a high percentage of addiction treatment patients relapse within the first year. The stressors involved with readjusting to daily life often trigger the desire to return to old habits. Some patients convince themselves they can handle just one drink or dose, but for most, a single slip-up inevitably results in a return to an unhealthy and undesirable lifestyle.
Aftercare programs reinforce the skills learned during treatment. They provide a safety net as patients return to daily life. Acqua Recovery patients who choose to participate in our aftercare programs for substance abuse receive the ongoing support and resources they need to cope with stress and avoid the triggers that tempt them to drink or use substances.
The most effective aftercare treatment programs attend to multiple needs, including:
- Medical
- Psychological
- Social
- Legal
- Educational/vocational
Providing treatment that is appropriate for a person’s culture, ethnicity, and gender is also important. Every person who is seeking treatment for addiction deserves affirming care in a safe and welcoming environment.
Aftercare may also include pharmacological treatments when appropriate. Depending on the substance a person is addicted to, the monitored use of certain medications may be recommended to help prevent relapse and lower the risk of fatal overdose.
Addiction can destroy family relationships. Family therapy is a cornerstone of addiction treatment, and aftercare programs provide continuing support for family members interested in repairing relationships.
It’s estimated that approximately 50% of people with substance use disorders have an additional mental health disorder. Continued treatment and support for mental health issues like depression or PTSD are not only necessary for a person’s overall quality of life but also to reduce the risk of relapse.
As you’re learning how to stay clean and sober, you’ll learn that self-medicating is a common occurrence for people struggling with a mental health disorder. Without drugs or alcohol to help alleviate symptoms, patients need appropriate mental health care to enjoy a new life free of addiction.
Aftercare programs for substance abuse are also important because they help patients build a sober network. Through our Alumni Program, Acqua Recovery patients can remain active in their recovery and stay connected with peers who are also serious about maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Benefits of Aftercare Programs
Making the decision to participate in an addiction treatment aftercare plan is one of the best things you can do for your health. Completing a treatment program is exciting and something to be proud of, but navigating life after treatment isn’t easy.
Staying away from drugs and alcohol often requires a person to change their entire lifestyle, sometimes even cutting off contact with friends and family members.
One of the greatest benefits of aftercare treatment is that it provides ongoing support during this vulnerable time of transition. It can take time to rebuild your life after addiction.
Aftercare services provide the networking and resources patients need to make that process more successful. Other benefits include:
Accountability: patients still have peers, counselors, and therapists keeping them accountable for their actions
Continuity of care: through aftercare, patients can continue treatment with the same providers and clinical team members they are already familiar with
Long-lasting support: participating in an aftercare program through an addiction recovery treatment facility provides patients with access to psychiatric care, clinicians, and other addiction support professionals after treatment is completed
Social connections: peer support and involvement with sober activities are vital to long-term recovery
Personal growth: aftercare provides an opportunity to practice the new skills learned during treatment, including coping, communication, and anger management skills
Of course, the best benefit of aftercare programs for substance abuse is the increased likelihood of maintaining recovery. Several studies have found that participation in aftercare greatly increases a person’s chances of staying sober or seeking support quickly if they do relapse.
Aftercare Treatment in Utah
During treatment, you will begin to understand your patterns of thinking and action. Our Masters-level clinicians will help you find the root causes of your addiction and help you begin to heal them.
For many, though, that healing must be a lifelong process. As you come to the end of your stay at Acqua, our case manager will work with you to identify appropriate next steps. Perhaps you may want to enter Acqua’s Outpatient Program here in Utah, join our men’s sober living program, or maybe find a different sober living that’s right for you. It might even be time for you to fly home and get back to your family and career.
No matter what your vision for the future, our team will ensure that you are set up for success: continued healing and recovery.
Our Alumni Program
Located near Park City, Utah, and not far from Salt Lake City and Provo, Acqua Recovery is a hub of continued recovery in Utah. Many alumni return for weekly 12-Step meetings and other community activities. There also is an active, private online community where alumni of our program can connect and offer each other encouragement in their new lives. We encourage continued connection between alumni, so they can support and inspire each other to build upon the lessons of their time in our program. Once you’re here, you will always have a home at Acqua.
Lifelong Addiction Support
Acqua Recovery is more than just a place. Once you’ve been here, the spirit of our community flows through you forever. The lessons learned and connections made in our community will sustain you for years to come. Our programming is built to ensure it.
Aftercare Treatment FAQs
How Much Can Aftercare Treatment Cost?
The cost of aftercare treatment depends on the services and treatments a patient requires. Budgetary considerations and payment options are an important part of the conversation when discussing treatment plans with our aftercare specialists.
How Long Does Aftercare Treatment Last For?
Aftercare plans are based on an individual’s needs. One of the benefits of aftercare is that it can last as long as a person needs additional support. Typically, an aftercare plan lasts several months but may last a year or more.
Does Insurance Cover Aftercare Treatment?
Your insurance policy may cover all or part of your aftercare treatment. Our admissions counselors are available to check your plan for coverage options.
What Types of Aftercare Programs Are There?
Aftercare can include residency in a sober living facility or take place through outpatient care. Continuous individual counseling, participation in a peer-support group, and pharmacological therapies are some of the available programs.
What to Do If Relapse Occurs During Aftercare?
Relapse is part of living with a chronic disease and should not be viewed as a failure. While aftercare lowers the risk of relapse, it cannot prevent it 100% of the time. If you relapse while in aftercare, speak with your therapist or specialist about taking the steps to best support your ongoing recovery.
Take the first step to transforming your life.
Simply call us or even just send a chat to find out whether Acqua Recovery could be the right decision for you. Our patient-centered approach starts on that phone call. If we’re not right for you, we’ll help you find someplace that is. Let us show you how much we care.
Dr. Pickrell is a board-certified psychiatrist with interests in addiction and psychiatry. He strives to identify the underlying cause of substance use. His understanding of addiction as the overlapping symptoms of biopsychosocial development is the foundation to his care model. He is committed to helping both patients and families understand that addiction is a treatable medical illness. He has been involved in the treatment of addiction for the last 17 years and completed his residency training at the University of Utah.
