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Aftercare Recovery Planning

What Happens After Adolescent and Young AdultDrug and Alcohol Rehab?

If your youth completed a residential adolescent and young adult drug and alcohol rehab program, you may be wondering, “what’s next?”

An abrupt shift from inpatient rehab can be startling for anyone in recovery, but it’s more pronounced with teens. Individuals must return to school or extracurricular programs, putting them at risk of relapse from being around some of the same people or situations that contributed to their substance use.

Residential treatment is a significant component of successful recovery for teens and young adults, but it’s just one part. To maintain long-term sobriety and reintegrate into school and society, they need a comprehensive aftercare recovery plan that considers everyday stresses and risks to sobriety.

At Ember Recovery, an aftercare treatment plan is a continuing recovery plan that’s part of an individualized continuum of care to promote long-term recovery.

How Is Ember Recovery Different?

Ember Recovery focuses entirely on addiction treatment for teens between the ages of 12 and 17 and, in a different program, young adults ages 18-24. Our safe, home-like environment provides gender-specific treatment to help individuals learn coping skills, relationship-building skills, and relapse prevention strategies from initial treatment to aftercare.

We assign a youth advocate to each client during their residential treatment. The advocate will work with your child throughout treatment to build a strong bond and support, which then carries over to their aftercare program. Teens and young adults continue to work on their struggles with substance use and have opportunities to engage in activities and educational programs to catch up on anything they may have missed.

Youth Recovery House for Boys

What Is Aftercare?

Achieving sobriety is a huge accomplishment, but the work doesn’t end there. Aftercare is an ongoing treatment that helps teens in recovery from drug addiction after a residential or inpatient adolescent and young adult drug and alcohol rehab program.

Aftercare planning may include a combination of an outpatient recovery program or individual and group counseling once your child leaves inpatient treatment. The goal is to help your child develop support systems and gain resources to help them thrive outside of a treatment facility and minimize the risk of relapse.

What’s Involved in Aftercare?

Aftercare plans are a continuing recovery plan that’s part of the initial treatment plan. Each plan is tailored to the needs of the individual, so no two are alike. These are some typical components of aftercare treatment:

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Continued Counseling

Many of the same treatments that were part of the residential rehab program are available in aftercare, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy, and individual therapy. During this therapy, individuals learn to evaluate their thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes, replacing those that are negative with healthier and more productive ones. They also learn coping skills to handle stress and pressure that can contribute to relapse.

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Family Therapy

Families can be a support system for an individual in recovery, but addiction takes a toll on the family dynamics before recovery. Restoring the harmony of the family system is essential to a sober future. Aftercare treatment programs include family therapy to rebuild relationships, repair broken trust, and improve communication.

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Recovery Support Groups

Support groups are often part of aftercare for individuals in recovery. While some are based on the 12-step model, others use different support models. These groups have members discuss their struggles with addiction and provide a strong support system, such as sponsors, to help mentor them through the recovery journey.

Aftercare may include a different combination of these programs, as well as others. It’s highly dependent on the needs of the individual.
Residential treatment for girls

How Long Does Aftercare Last?

The duration of aftercare isn’t pre-determined – it can go as long as the person needs to address the complexity of their struggles and their addiction. Most aftercare programs last several months to a year or more.

Ember Recovery, Adolescent and Young Adult Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Iowa

Recovery is a journey. From the initial consultation to preparing for aftercare, Ember Recovery provides a continuum of care to set your child up for success.

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