Reentry Is the Hard Part: Supporting Clients After Inpatient Treatment

After a client finishes residential treatment, for a while, everyone is relieved. The family is hopeful, the client feels more solid, and it could be the toughest part of the recovery has passed.

There they go back home.

It is the same environment for them: same routines, responsibilities, relationships, stressors, and reminders of the life they were trying to change. The structure that they had during treatment is no longer there and they have to use their skills in a world that isn’t as protected as it was when they had those skills.

The transition or reentry phase, which is the phase that many clients require the most support at, is referred to as this transition period. The weeks following discharge are not the week of recovery that outpatient clinicians are in. They are focused on supporting clients in their transitions from therapy into their life.

The Challenge of Returning Home

Residential treatment is a place of recovery. Clients may have specific days, regular support, therapeutic activities, and separation from numerous triggers that led to drug dependence.

When you move back to your home, it is a different picture. Families often head in focused on how long the program lasts, and understanding rehab timelines does help everyone plan. But the weeks after discharge can be just as demanding, and they rarely get the same attention.

The client’s environment is once again full of familiar places, relationships, feelings and situations that can test the client’s coping mechanisms. It can be difficult enough to leave treatment with a good attitude.

Early recovery problems do not necessarily mean that recovery will not be achieved. These are frequently indicators that an individual is developing skills to manage recovery outside of a controlled setting.

Understanding What Treatment Provides

Inpatient treatment programs can provide clients with valuable resources, including emotional support, coping skills, education on addiction and time away from potentially risky environments.

But treatment doesn’t prepare for all of the post-discharge scenarios.

An individual might know their triggers during treatment but when in conflict at home, work, loneliness or unexpected stress, finds themselves unable to.An individual might be aware of their triggers in the treatment setting but not when in conflict at home, work, loneliness or unexpected stress. Continued care is about practice and adaptation – applying the skills in real-world situations.

The emphasis following discharge is not whether a person is “fixed. Recovery is a journey and not a destination. What are the support systems and habits that can assist this person in moving forward?

Relapse as Information, Not Failure

One of the most crucial discussions to have with clients is a shift in perspective regarding relapse.

The road to recovery is seldom a linear one. Relapse is not a sign that the treatment was a failure or that the person hasn’t made any progress. Rather, it can offer valuable insights into areas of concern.

To treat relapse with a sense of curiosity and not judgment helps clients remain in care. It gives the opportunity for clinicians and clients to find out what is triggering the situation, modify the strategies, and reinforce the recovery plan.

These conversations about safety are particularly critical for certain substances, particularly opioids. Tolerance may also decrease after a period of abstinence, making it more likely that someone will overdose if they resume BDSM practices.

What Clinicians Should Watch During Early Reentry

Often, the first weeks following treatment will show places where further assistance may be required.

There are some repeated patterns such as:

• A boost of confidence that causes someone to prematurely end support groups and/or therapy.
• Separating from nurturing relationships and heading back into loneliness.
• Shift in sleep habits and routines.
• Struggle with managing time unstructuredly.
• Strain due to family, work or individual circumstances.

All of these are not indicators of a crisis. But, the earlier that they are identified, the earlier that they can be addressed before they become unmanageable.

Building a Life Beyond Recovery

The recovery process isn’t just about not using substances. It’s also about making a life that is meaningful and continues to grow.

Many clients require assistance in restoring relationships, routine, responsibilities and personal goals that may have been affected by addiction.

A good recovery plan is more than about what someone is not wanting to happen. It also involves them in thinking about their goals.

In the clinician’s world, that translates to helping the client create a future that is worth preserving. When someone isn’t just giving up something, they’re putting something together as well.

The Changing Role of the Clinician

The transition from in-patient care to out-patient care is not the beginning of the process.

The client is coming to the client with experiences, skills, and insights from treatment. The aim is to assist them to apply these tools in their daily lives.

It is important to remain consistent at this point. A sound therapeutic relationship is able to create stability as clients learn to face the difficulties of independent recovery.

Discharge Is Not the End of Recovery

The loss of urine does not mean the end of recovery.The end of recovery is not a discharge.

After you finish inpatient treatment, it’s not the end of the journey.

Many recovery skills are put to the test and reinforced in the transition back to daily life. Clients can learn to cope with difficulties, re-establish routines and maintain a healthier future with the proper support.

For clinicians, supporting reentry is knowing that recovery is not just inside treatment. It occurs when individuals come to understand how to implement those changes in their lives.