After Care Programme 

OBJECTIVES  

·        A process designed to maintain the gains made in treatment and rehabilitation.

·        Offers opportunity to address outstanding issue

·        Provides safe environment until support is no longer required

·        Review of treatment gains

·        Identifying and handling craving

·        New roles and responsibilities

·        Healthy social activities

·        Non drug using peers and friends

·        Solid counselling relationships

·        Share to enable care

 ACTIVITIES  

·        Patient to be prepared for discharge with focus on short-term goals and long-term goals e.g. developing work ethics, improving inter personal relationships and financial management. 

·        Case history – recovery plans to be maintained by the Counsellor.

·        Regular follow-up services to be provided on completion of treatment for clients who are living in the same geographical area as the NGO.  The sessions can be held either at the community or at the premises of the NGO.

·        Birthday celebrations of the recovered.

·        Follow-up card that has details of counselling notes, home visits and letters to be maintained by the Counsellor.

·        One counselling session every fifteen days during the first three months.

·        One session every month from the third month till he completes one year.

·        One session every two months for one more year till he achieves two years of sobriety.

·        Failure to report for visits for two months to be followed up with two letters and one home visit for the patient and one letter to the family / significant person.

·        Drinking / drug taking history and improvements made to be recorded in every visit.

·        Whole person recovery to be assessed twice a year and recorded.

·        Patients completing one or more years of sobriety to be encouraged by sending a congratulatory letter.

·        Congratulatory letter signed by the Counsellor / project-in-charge.

·        Relapse has to be dealt with specific input to increase the understanding and coping mechanism of the addict – four counselling sessions.

·        Maintenance of a directory and networking with specialized services – vocational training, job placement, referral to half way home / after care centre.