GROUPS/Lectures

Re-entry Preparation Group
To normalize, validate, and process the issues, concerns, and emotions natural to transitioning from the safety and security of the inpatient setting to returning to the community.

Alumni Aftercare Group-Mentoring
An individualized strategy will be developed for clients to be involved in a process for mentoring other clients. This process will include:

• Orienting newly admitted clients.
• Providing leadership in group settings.
• Demonstrating a solution-oriented attitude and responsible recovery-supportive behaviors.

Off-Site Passes

An individualized strategy will be developed for prearranged day and weekend passes as appropriate. These can help reinforce progress clients have made, as well as give clients more responsibility for handling some of the outside logistics as they prepare for discharge. This also provides opportunities to practice the knowledge and skills clients have learned in treatment by applying them in such areas as:

• to respond when returning to the home/community.
• drug-using acquaintances.
• Structuring and using free time.
• Spending time with family/significant others/friends.

Reading/Writing/Activities

• Continue daily writing in the guided journal, My First Year in Recovery.
• Read and highlight Chapters Nine and Ten in the Narcotics Anonymous basic text.

Time-Use Charts
This assignment requires clients to make an hour-by-hour chart of their last two weeks of active addiction (to the best of their memory) prior to admission to LVRC. Activities that should be addressed include, but are not limited to:

• Active drug use.
• Acquisition of drugs.
• Work and the extent to which drugs were used while working.
• Time spent with family and friends and whether drug use was part of the activity.
• Exercise and the extent to which drug use was part of the activity.
• Recreational activities and the extent to which drug use was part of the activity.
• Sexual activity and the extent to which drugs were used by client or partner(s).
• Meals and the extent to which drug use was involved.

Clients' addiction time-use chart will be processed with client's primary counselor. As part of this review, the counselor will assign clients to complete a recovery time-use chart to represent what clients' use of time will look like after the completion of treatment at LVRC. Activities that should be addressed include, but are not limited to:

• Outpatient/aftercare treatment attendance.
• Exercise.
• Meeting attendance.
• Employment.
• Step- or writing-assignment time.
• Sponsorship contact.
• Recreational activities/hobbies/leisure time
• Time with family and friends.

Identifying Character Defects (Steps Six and Seven)
Make a list of character defects, after reviewing clients' life inventory and Fifth Step and indicate how each contributes to and results from clients' addiction.

Identifying Relapse Risk Factors
Review clients' written description of three external/environmental factors and three internal characteristics or behavior patterns that clients identified in Phase II as the most active threats to maintaining their recovery. Add three more external/environmental factors and three more internal characteristics or behavior patterns that clients identify as the next most active threats to their recovery.

Generating Solutions/Strategies for Overcoming Relapse Risks
Using the list of risk factors, clients will develop at least three solutions or strategies they can use to overcome each risk factor. These should be detailed, directly related, and behavior-specific. For example, if external threat Number One is a partner who drinks in the home, then "Go to meetings regularly" is important, but not specific enough to be very helpful. A more detailed, action-specific strategy would be, "Ask him or her to get a separate fridge to keep alcohol in so I don't have to reach past the beer to get food to make dinner," in combination with, "Go to a meeting whenever I find myself uncomfortable at home when my partner is drinking/using."