When it comes to choosing a treatment center, it is important to consider whether they have an alumni program and to what extent it operates. Though an alumni program might not be one of the first factors you consider when you are first seeking treatment, being involved in a place that offers a strong community of individuals who have already been through treatment can do wonders for your long-term recovery.

Alumni, Why?

The existence and extent of alumni programs can reveal a lot about the quality of the treatment center. A solid alumni program shows that people genuinely enjoy the community they created within treatment. After all, clients are unlikely to join an alumni program if they hated the place they went to receive help. Usually, evidence of involvement after treatment suggests that individuals built strong connections and made an immense amount of progress. An active alumni program also demonstrates that there will be accountability and support for you even after you continue in your recovery journey past treatment.

At 449 Recovery, many clients remain in the community through the alumni program or stay in contact with the alumni coordinator. People genuinely desire to be a part of the center and stay involved past their own treatment. They can keep busy with a variety of activities and trips while building friendships with others who understand their journey and can help keep them on the right track.

Recovery Is Lifelong

Addiction treatment services should not be finished when a client leaves the center doors. Substance use disorders are chronic diseases that require a lifelong commitment to the continuation of recovery. The idea that someone can simply finish treatment and go on about their lives without any type of continuing care is unrealistic. There needs to be a constant effort, ongoing work, support, and accountability. The more involvement that somebody has with a center after they finish treatment, the more prepared they are to maintain their success.

The daily activities that one is involved in must be supportive of their recovery goals, and so must the people one spends time with.  You become the environment that you place yourself in, and if the people you spend time with are not supportive of your sobriety goals, they are not people you need to be around. Essentially, you should surround yourself with uplifting, empathetic, and hardworking individuals that will support, encourage, and motivate you to continue your sobriety.

An alumni program can help you maintain your relationships with these people through meetings and activities. Since new people seek and graduate treatment every day, a strong alumni program can also help you meet more understanding and inspiring individuals.

The Four Dimensions of Recovery

There are four essential aspects to recovery, and each can be supported through an alumni program. These aspects are:

• Health: managing one’s substance abuse and mental health disorders and making healthy choices that support all aspects of well-being
• Home: having a stable and safe place to live
• Purpose: engaging in meaningful daily activities, including jobs, volunteer work, family caretaking, spiritual practice, hobbies, and creative endeavors
• Community: building and maintaining relationships and social networks that provide support, love, friendship, hope, communication, trust, and accountability

Each one of these dimensions shares the goals of a strong alumni program. When participating in an alumni program, you will be involved in activities that are healthy, stable, meaningful, and socially rewarding. They can help you build your identity and feel accomplished from the inside out.

Alumni Program at 449 Recovery

At 449 Recovery, you can create an aftercare plan with your recovery team that is based on the community you’ve built and that benefit you after you leave treatment. After all, treatment is not set up in a way that allows clients to become dependent on it. Its goal is to equip you to maintain your recovery through your everyday life after treatment ends. Providing clients with resources for success is the mission, and that includes ensuring that there is plenty of support once you have graduated from treatment.

Life after treatment is an important focus at 449 Recovery because we believe that people do not get sober in treatment; they get sober in the relationships and communities that they build while in treatment. To assist with life after treatment, 449 Recovery equips our clients for stable adult living.

One resource we provide that can help our clients be ready for independence is StandUp for Kids. This nonprofit organization provides mentorship and counseling for anyone under the age of twenty-five. They also help with life-skills training, which can include making a resume and getting a driver’s license. 449 Recovery’s partnership with StandUp for Kids is just one of the many ways we set our clients up for success in life after treatment.

Of course, one way we support our clients is through engagement in fun activities. Our alumni team works hard to find and create events that are truly enjoyable to members. Monthly activities have included hiking, visiting the beach, and paintballing. It is imperative to get clients involved in activities outside of the walls of treatment that are enjoyable and do not involve any kind of substance abuse. 449 aims to show clients that you can have fun while also getting back into daily life activities post-treatment. Separate trips for the men’s and women’s alumni programs ensure more space for quality connection.

At 449 Recovery, clients typically form such strong connections that they genuinely want to be involved with the community once their treatment is completed. When clients have a foundation that encompasses all four of the essential parts of recovery, they tend to want to follow through with steps that will support their own success. Educating clients about how they can access tools to benefit their journey enables them to make the best decisions for themselves. It can be incredibly motivating to see the successes of other clients and alumni of their treatment center. When there is the option to participate in an alumni program that will keep them accountable, help them with life post-treatment, and provide opportunities to be involved in exciting activities, clients are usually more than willing to do so. To find out more about 449 Recovery’s programs, call us today at (949) 435-7449.