2013 Collaborative Session Notes
Alumni Meetings and Aftercare Groups
Conveners: Sherri Layton, La Hacienda [email protected]
Lauren Younger, New Direction for Women [email protected]
Participants:
Sue Hendrickson, Caron Treatment Services
Austin Berry, The Last Resort
Lauren Younger, New Directions for Women
Brianna Jones, Recovery Ways
Sherri:
Setting up alumni groups in remote areas
– Alumni can decide that they want to have a group if there is not already a group
– Staff will visit group once a month, the rest of the time alumni volunteers will set it up
– Some groups are very small, some are large. Groups open to alumni and guest
– Alumni groups should be bridge group into 12 Step Recovery/ not intended to take place of meeting
– Successful alumni weekend
o Friday
- Dinner, Speaker, Bonfire meeting
o Saturday
- Case Manager Open House, Morning Speaker, Lunch, Birthday Meeting, Sobriety
Count Down
o Sunday
- Alumni Meeting
- Encourage to have city events like camp together, etc .
- Ask questions at meeting: “who just returned from treatment”
Sue
Look at meeting locations
o Is there traffic? Where in city are alumni located
– Alumni sign up to receive monthly email about support groups in area.
– Every few months they have a speaker from Caron or a specialized speaker – a lot more attendance
for those events
– Groups decide what kind of service work and activities they want to do. There to help them stay
engaged.
2013 Collaborative Session Notes
Engagement with Clients post discharge
Convener: Kacy Marion, Origins Recovery Center [email protected]
Scribe: Sabrina Mathis, Foundations Recovery Network [email protected]
Participants:
Murry Sandlin, Ranch of Dove Tree
Melissa Garrison, Rosecrance
Ross Martin, Focus Healthcare of TN
Alumni coordinators often have to pull back and refocus on where to work our skills and program.
There is a belief in growing need for gender specific alumni positions to help with trauma/disorders/treatment
that is more specific to certain genders (eating disorder/sexual abuse/etc.)
Ask to sit in on discharge meeting
– Make sure you have current events/meetings happening in discharge planners hands if you can’t be
a part of the meeting
– Show alums there is a connection to help / Form bond early on so you can share good stories
– Find whatever way you can to get in front of patients to talk/interact and form a connection
Week of Discharge – if possible, take those discharging out for an off-site meeting
– 45 minute trip to Starbucks for some coffee and conversation
Volunteer to teach a group or just visit a group to give updates/announcements/word of encouragement — but
be aware of the boundaries with patients
Ask to have office space in a high traffic area to be seen/accessible
– Share space with the area you need to work with
o Discharge planner…even if it’s just a few hours a week – Find balance with clinical staff
Attend staffing/treatment teams meetings
– Great way to gather information about patients
– Document all that you can — great notes to go from when reaching out to alums after discharging
2014 Collaborative Session Notes
LANGUAGE IS IMPORTANT
AFTERCARE versus CONTINUING CARE versus RECOVERY SUPPORT
Convener: Janelle Wesloh, Hazelden
Participants:
Kim Murphy, Creative Care
Murry Sandlin, The Ranch at Dove Tree
Michele Jackson, Promises
Sabrina Mathis, Foundations
Chris Gates, MAP
Mark Kloster, Jaywalker
Dr. Meely spoke and challenged their language
- Words: discharged, graduate, alumni
- Aftercare – after what?
- Continuing Care – better, but from what?
- Recovery Support Services – moving toward this or Alumni Recovery Support
How do you shift the culture?
- Change the language.
- Be inclusionary: use a dash or slash until people are comfortable using new language.
A mission of TPAS: could be to codify this language so we’re all on the same page. Use Bill White’s language.
Hazelden:
Recovery Management
- Continuing care
- Staying connected
Alumni Services
- Events
2014 Collaborative Session Notes
MAINTAINING ENGAGEMENT AFTER MONTH 6
Convener: Chris Gates, MAP Health, [email protected]
Participants:
Sabrina Mathis, Foundations
Michele Jackson, Promises
Neena Wilcox, The Bridge to Recovery
Renee Baribeau, Foundations
Jim Sullivan, Sexual Recovery Institute
Jordin Tate, Balboa
Carol Ricossa, Foundations
Kristen Smith, Balboa
Post Treatment Support Recovery Program
- 1 year support/guidance
- Not to take place of continuum of care
- Help set short-term goals
- Collecting data from alumni and patient: retention at 12 months = 60%; 10-15% returning to addiction; and 25% don’t feel value at this point
- Young alum feels better within 90 days so don’t feel need the long term support.
Suggestion:
- Big Brother/Sister program
- Alum call – take to meeting
Ambassador Program:
- Talk to alum on front end (Admissions)
- Bridge sponsor – get phone calls
- Seven events across country in this year: pair up 40 older alums with current patients based on their addictions
Promises provides each alum with another person’s phone number before they leave.
LaHacienda creates culture of being in the cool program.
- Alumni program starts day 1 of treatment
- Famous face of LaHa to do webinars
It’s culture!