Aftercare Planning At Ohio Recovery Center

Substance use disorder and other mental health disorders are chronic diseases. That means that although they’re fully treatable, you must take steps to maintain your recovery. For most people, the first step toward long-term recovery is aftercare planning. 

At Ohio Recovery Center (ORC), we employ an aftercare coordinator who collaborates with you, your treatment team, and your support system to develop a long-term aftercare plan that’s best for you. 

What Is Aftercare Planning?

Once you complete a behavioral health treatment program and return to your normal life, you will likely face a variety of triggers. 

Triggers are people, places, feelings, or other things that make you want to abuse drugs or slip into old habits. An aftercare plan is a set of interventions designed to help you cope with triggers and reduce your risk of relapse. 

We will help you create your aftercare plan with the help of your treatment team. 

Your treatment team at ORC includes your case manager, primary clinician, aftercare coordinator, and other treatment providers. In some cases, your loved ones or support system may also assist with aftercare planning. 

Aftercare Services At ORC

The specific interventions listed in your aftercare program will depend on your personal needs. The most common aftercare services and interventions we provide include:

Therapy

Therapy is an essential part of mental and behavioral health. Most people benefit from ongoing therapy long after professional treatment ends. Your aftercare plan may include multiple types of therapy, including individual therapy, family therapy, and group therapy.

In individual therapy, a mental health professional will help you identify and cope with your triggers. They can also help you manage any underlying stressors that contributed to your issues in the first place. 

In family therapy, you and your family members will learn how to resolve conflicts related to your mental health. In addition, the therapist will teach your loved ones how to best support your long-term recovery. 

In group therapy, you will learn how to manage drug cravings, triggers, and other recovery-related challenges alongside other people in recovery. 

Your treatment team can help you determine which types of therapy will work best for you. 

Support Groups

When you’re recovering from a mental health or substance use disorder, it’s important to have a strong support system. Along with friends and family, your support system should include other people in recovery. The best place to meet these people is a peer support group. 

The most popular peer support groups for addiction are 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Other options include:

• LifeRing Secular Recovery
• SMART Recovery
• Women For Sobriety

All of these groups give you the opportunity to discuss your experiences and coping strategies with people facing similar challenges.

Vocational Rehabilitation

Because having a job keeps you busy and gives you a sense of purpose, it can significantly reduce your risk of relapse. That’s why many aftercare plans include vocational rehabilitation. This service connects you with a counselor who can help you:

• determine which jobs could be a good fit for you
• build a strong resume
• prepare for job interviews

Your counselor can also help you secure accommodations that make it easier to maintain employment. For example, you might need transportation assistance, childcare, or time off for continued treatment. 

Sober Living Homes

A sober living home is a safe, drug-free living space for people in early recovery. It gives you the chance to strengthen your recovery skills and tools for relapse prevention before you move out on your own. 

To stay at a sober living home, you must avoid all drugs, including alcohol. This rule helps all residents of the home feel supported and safe. You may also need to do chores, adhere to a curfew, or follow other rules. 

Continued Treatment

When creating your aftercare plan, your treatment team might determine that you’re not quite ready to stop attending a substance abuse treatment program. However, we may find that you now require a less intensive level of care.

For instance, if you recently completed inpatient treatment (also called residential treatment), you may be able to transition to follow-up outpatient treatment. The most common types of outpatient treatment include:

• partial hospitalization, in which you visit a treatment facility most days of the week
• intensive outpatient, in which you visit a treatment facility several times a week
• standard outpatient, in which you visit a treatment facility once or twice a week

Our rehab center also offers an alumni program to help you stay connected and supported while you work to maintain active recovery.

Wellness Activities

Throughout the recovery process, it’s important to take care of your physical and mental health. You and your treatment team can identify activities that boost your overall wellness, such as:

• eating nutritious foods
• getting plenty of sleep
• exercising
• journaling
• meditating
• finding healthy hobbies, such as gardening, painting, or cooking
• spending time with people in your support network

Even when you follow your aftercare plan, you may relapse. Relapse does not mean you failed. It just means you need to talk to your treatment team about getting additional or modified treatment, including ongoing counseling sessions to bolster coping skills and other tools. 

To learn more about our aftercare planning process, please contact Ohio Recovery Center. Our compassionate healthcare providers offer medical detox, mental health counseling, and a variety of other treatments to help you live a healthy, happy life.