Aftercare Services Rehabilitation Is Crucial for Recovery, Any Risks on the Job Community Than Addicts

808 808 6 6 recovering addicts face in adjusting to regular work and library, public or social hall, place of worship, or any employment (such as socializing with fellow workers, suitable place, rather than the rehabilitation center. coping with routine and monotony, coping with authority, This helps foster a sense of well-being, as it helps not being able to speak up, etc.). Since vocational clients feel more like respectable members of the Aftercare Services rehabilitation is crucial for recovery, any risks on the job community than addicts. can be risks to recovery. The aftercare staff might have to maintain contact with the employer, make non- for Drug Dependence Persons ix. Networking and co-ordination intrusive visits to the workplace, intervene in crises on Close co-ordination must be maintained with similar the job, conduct group discussions on job-related issues, as well as other social, medical, law enforcing, and assist in job-or work-related decision making. religious or other services and groups, to ensure prompt intervention at times of crisis or urgent client What is Aftercare? vii. Fellowship and community activities needs (such as for detoxification), client follow-up, ‘Aftercare’ refers to services that help recovering drug-dependent persons to adapt Such activities wonderfully supplement group vocational rehabilitation, or for any aftercare activity. to everyday community life, after completing earlier phases of treatment and meetings by providing wholesome recreation and rehabilitation. It provides an opportunity to address important issues and problems socializing among members. Meetings should be associated with abstinence and recovery. Aftercare provides a safe environment for held regularly, preferably every week. To hasten Aftercare Outcome and Evaluation continued support till it is no longer needed. social reintegration, guests should be invited from the community and attempts should be made to hold Why Aftercare? In order to develop and refine an aftercare program, Developing Community Drug Rehabilitation and Workplace Prevention Programme as many activities in the community as possible. The journey of recovery continues even after treatment and rehabilitation, and close attention must be paid to the program’s outcome (AD/IND/94/808) is long and steep. Since clients may take a year or even more to complete this data. The outcome information will help assess the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment last part of the recovery journey, they need support and guidance during this viii. Community-based meeting sites effectiveness of the program and modify it suitably. Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi - 110 001 period. Group meetings should preferably be held in Such evaluation will also identify staff training needs Tel : 23388580 Fax : 23384918 and the direction the program must take. locations within the community such as a school, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for South Asia Aftercare should: EP 16/17, Chandragupta Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi - 110 021 Setting up an Aftercare Program: Summary Steps Be an integral component programed into a treatment and rehabilitation Tel : 24104970, 71, 72, 73 Fax : 24104962, 63 service Before starting an aftercare program, decide (for smaller treatment programs) or a larger, whether to ‘own’ the aftercare program or formal and structured aftercare program, as International Labour Organization Include training to prevent relapse and other crises ‘outsource’ it. suitable. Core 4B, IIIrd Floor, India Habitat Centre, Lodi Road, New Delhi - 110 003 Focus on reviewing and consolidating the gains made during treatment and aim Set up an ‘Aftercare Team’ with one or more The Aftercare Team should: Tel : 24602101 Fax : 24602111 E-mail : [email protected] at Whole Person Recovery (with strategies for being drug-free, crime-free and counselors, a manager or member of the Plan program components gainfully employed) European Commission treatment center’s Board, and a recovering Identify areas of staff training and Impart new skills for maintaining recovery, including help in handling everyday 65 Golf Links, New Delhi - 110 003 addict counselor (if possible). The Aftercare capacity building responsibilities, managing family and other relationships, making new friends, Tel : 24629237, 38 Fax : 24629206 E-mail : [email protected] Team will carry out the planning, Estimate financial and other resources for developing alternative recreational activities, adjusting to work and employment implementation and development of the the program and mobilize such resources or acquiring/re-learning occupational skills, overcoming the stigma and shame of National Centre for Drug Abuse Prevention aftercare program. Carry out a periodic evaluation and the past, and developing new insights. review. Ground Floor, West Block 1, Wing 7, Rama Krishna Puram, New Delhi - 110 066 Plan client-by-client individualized aftercare Tel : 26173257, 26100058 Fax : 26173257 E-mail : [email protected] The client who successfully graduates from an risks of relapse decrease with the passage of Acknowledgements aftercare service will have made substantial time, relapse can still occur. The aftercare Principal Author : Dr. Sunil Mittal Whole Person Recovery to lead a normal life. experience enhances the client’s capacity to Scientific Editor : Dr. Pratima Murthy, NIMHANS Aftercare Services Yet, the road to recovery does not end here, as cope with this risk and make progress on a Coordinated by : UNODC, Regional Office for South Asia recovery is a continuous journey. Though the drug-free life. Design : Lopez Design Reprint : 2005 The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the official policy of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 5 Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, ILO and the European Commission. Differences between Aftercare and follow-up counselors should pay attention to each client’s purpose. Other counselors and volunteers may be relationships, work and employment, finances, start, change or stop these medicines are best left to Aftercare should not be an afterthought While an aftercare program does include follow-up aftercare needs. When the group of clients trained to assist in the program. health, social and spiritual activities the medical professional in charge. procedures, mere follow-up is not aftercare. grows, a more formal program of aftercare can Home visits by counselors or volunteers. be developed. ii. Recovering addict counselors iii. Psychiatric and medical treatment ‘Senior’ recovering addicts can form an effective Clear entry and completion criteria Certain clients in aftercare may continue to receive Aftercare Follow-up part of the aftercare team, as they not only provide Define clearly the criteria and standards for entry psychiatric or medical treatment for co-morbid Definition Planned services that help recovering drug Monitoring and collecting information about clients dependent persons to adapt to everyday after they leave a program Who Provides Aftercare? role models but can also be effective peer into and ‘graduating’ from the aftercare program. conditions. Such patients require: community life counselors and peer leaders. This maximizes benefit and reduces wastage of Monitoring of treatment and ensuring compliance Although desirable, not all drug treatment centers resources. Admit only those clients who are ready Focus Support and guidance in relapse prevention, Learning about clients after they leave a program Appropriate referral and contact with the Whole Person Recovery, and developing need to provide for aftercare themselves. The iii. Volunteers to use the service. new skills treating doctors. aftercare component can be provided by a different Volunteers from the community who are familiar agency in the community. For example, hospital- with the process of drug dependence and recovery, iv. Family counseling Issues in Aftercare Goals in Aftercare based detoxification-only programs may refer their who have the sensitivity and ability to listen and Components of Aftercare Family counseling should be continued on a single- ‘graduates’ to other rehabilitation programs that empathize, and the capacity to understand, may be family basis in the treatment center setting or through Aftercare includes working on: Based on the aftercare issues outlined, the staff of facilitate the rest of recovery. trained to assist in aftercare services. i. Individual counseling a family support group outside the center, in the a. Recognition, review and consolidation of the program should formulate a set of client goals. community. Counseling includes helping family General Principles of Individual Counseling treatment gains These should be in tune with the recovery model Smaller rehabilitation programs may opt for members learn new strategies to cope and relate to b. Addressing the issue of drug-craving in terms of: being used in the treatment and rehabilitation a more flexible client-to-client approach for Aftercare Activities and Procedures Respect for the Client A thorough understanding each other, resolve conflicts and prevent relapse. They Rapport of the basic nature of the services. Well-defined goals provide a focus for community reintegration (individualized aftercare). must also learn to overcome social stigma, shame, and Identification of drug-craving Authenticity problem and client’s ability Non-judgmental pain and their own ‘co-dependence’. In such Identification of psychological and other

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