Welcome

Struggling with drug or alcohol addiction is difficult. Getting clean and sober is even more difficult. And once you’ve gotten clean and sober, it can continue to be difficult to stay that way.

Extended care programs are designed for people in the early stages of recovery from drug addiction or alcoholism. For many people, the first few months following treatment can be a scary time to be alone. The new habits of recovery haven’t completely settled in, and the old habits of drinking or using haven’t been completely eradicated.

Extended care offers an alternative that supports recovery and encourages the new habits that have been learned during treatment to become reflexive and permanent. Extended care is generally a follow-up to the first phase (or inpatient period) of treatment.

How Does Extended Care Work?

After patients complete the inpatient program of a traditional treatment center (which generally lasts about 30 days), treatment may continue on an outpatient basis for another month or two. But what happens when you no longer live in the treatment center, and your previous living arrangements are no longer available? Or when “home” carries connections to the places and people that fed your addiction? It’s unwise and unhealthy to live in such an environment when recovery is still on shaky ground. Recovery has to continue, but where?

Extended care programs can be an ideal answer, offering accommodations in a setting that continues to promote recovery. These facilities are available in all areas of the country and—like other forms of accommodations—vary in both cost and class. Some are on the level of a dormitory, while others offer luxurious private suites. The services and support offered may also vary. In some programs, residents are expected to take responsibility for certain aspects of household upkeep (such as laundry, cleaning, gardening, etc). Other programs pamper their residents like celebrities.

Living in an extended care environment allows the resident to return to a regular work or school schedule, while attending counseling or support group meetings at the facility. Living with other residents who are also in recovery creates a natural “support group” within the facility. It’s not uncommon for lasting friendships to develop among the residents, fostering each other’s sobriety.

If you, or someone you care about, are currently in a treatment program and making plans for the short-term future, extended care can offer a virtual “insurance policy” on the lessons learned during rehab. We invite you to contact us at (800) 344-8794 for more information, or a referral to an extended care facility in your area.