Why is the Continuum of Care Important?

Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

An intensive outpatient program is the next step in the continuum of care. People generally attend individual and group therapies three days a week, up to 3 hours each day. Although this program offers a lower intensity level than PHPs, individuals still receive the same support and monitoring.

IOPs are beneficial for those who need intense treatment but, for personal reasons, cannot attend inpatient treatment. Furthermore, insurance companies are generally more likely to cover treatment in an intensive outpatient program over an inpatient treatment program.

Outpatient Program (OP)

People who are in the early stages of substance use disorder may find outpatient programs enough to achieve and maintain recovery. Additionally, for those who need to refresh their relapse prevention skills, outpatient programs focus on therapies to enforce the skills to sustain recovery.

The one-on-one focused therapies and group therapies in outpatient treatment offer the complete definition of the continuum of care. For example, an individual’s treatment plan may include multiple therapy sessions one week and a few weeks later be down to once a week.

Group therapy offers people the opportunity to practice real-life situations that can lead to relapse. Group therapy allows those in recovery to practice and sharpens their relapse prevention skills. According to the NIH, group therapy may also be more beneficial in maintaining recovery than individual therapy.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

For many, using one medication to treat a substance use disorder is conflicting. But, as research has proven, addiction is a chronic brain disorder. And like all chronic illnesses, they sometimes require medication to treat.

Antabuse (Disulfiram), for example, is FDA-approved to treat alcohol use disorder. It causes people physical discomfort if they drink alcohol. This medication is often enough to prevent people from relapsing, especially those who have multiple relapses.

So, why is the continuum of care important? Because some substance use disorders require individuals to be on medications long-term, the continuum care services of medication-assisted treatment are highly successful in maintaining lasting recovery.

Other FDA-approved drugs for addiction treatment include:

• Acamprosate
• Naltrexone
• Buprenorphine
• Methadone

Sober Living

Stepping back into the “real world” is scary for anyone fresh in recovery. The pressure of seeing people, places, and things that remind a person of misusing drugs or alcohol can be too much for some to handle. Furthermore, some people may not have a healthy, substance-free home that supports their recovery.

But, sober living homes offer the security, structure, and supportive space as people transition back into society. Although people in sober living can go to work and school, they pay rent and follow strict house rules. A study published by the NIH found people who include sober living homes in their continuum care services, compared to those who don’t, have:

• Significantly lower relapses
• Increased rate of employment
• Much higher monthly income
• And lower incarceration rates

Community Support Services

Substance use disorder is a chronic illness like diabetes or heart disease and must be managed as such. For instance, a person whose diabetes is under control must still be closely monitored by doctors. So, to manage recovery, people need the support and check-ins of community support services.

Services often provided through community support services include:

• Transitional housing
• Life skills training
• Job training
• Parenting skills
• Individual and group therapy

What is the Risk of Relapse Without Continuum Care Services?

When a person transitions out of treatment without another service in place, they increase their relapse risk. Furthermore, this transition period is extremely dangerous, specifically when transitioning out of inpatient treatment.

Individuals who do not continue with continuum care services are 80 percent more likely to relapse after treatment. This rate is compared to the 30 percent abstinence rate of those who stayed in continuum care services. Furthermore, continuum care services are shown to improve lasting recovery by up to 50 percent.

What Makes Continuum Care Services So Beneficial?

Addiction treatment providers such as Discovery Institute provide continuum care services to transition from detox to inpatient treatment to a PHP and beyond, a smooth process to reduce relapse risks.

For example, a person in an emergency room can transition to detox without waiting. This wait can be the difference between someone achieving recovery and relapsing. While going through detox, treatment plans and transitioning into inpatient treatment is already being handled.

Perhaps the most crucial time in recovery is transitioning out of inpatient treatment. Stepping back into life and encountering triggers can be too much for some people. For this reason, community support services and sober living housing are a big part of our continuum of care services.

At Discovery Institute, we offer many aftercare options to help in maintaining lifelong recovery including:

• Long-term psychotherapy
• Sober living homes
• Support groups
• Alumni programs
• Community support services

As you can tell, our continuum care services are vast. For this reason, there are many people involved in helping you find lasting recovery. But, the most challenging work is done by those in recovery. And, without the proper support and services in place, the risk of relapse is increased.

Find Lifelong Recovery at Discovery Institute

Have you tried the 28-day treatment programs only to go right back to using drugs or alcohol? At Discovery Institute, we give you the tools and support to achieve and maintain lasting recovery. Contact us today to find out more.