Aftercare/Continuing Care

Aftercare/Continuing Care

The Aftercare/ Continuing Care Team provide ongoing interventions and support for individuals who have made significant positive changes in their drug/alcohol use. These interventions are delivered with a view to reinforcing and maintaining these positive changes. This work is done on a one-to-one basis, and within a group setting.

Engagement with Aftercare/ Continuing Care requires that the referral and assessment process identifies significant change status in a person’s drug/alcohol use. This normally means abstinence, but for some individuals it can mean a very significant reduction of substances used, frequency/amount of use, or cessation of specific elements of use.

Aftercare/ Continuing Care has an explicit focus on: Maintaining Change; Relapse Prevention; Relapse Management; Achieving and Maintaining Psychological and Emotional Wellness; Development of Pro-Social networks; Building Recovery Capital; Complimentary Therapy; and advocacy/referral to appropriate other services.

Work on these goals is done through individual work (informed by Care Plan); Group Work (Aftercare Group – Rolling 9 month model; Recovery Support Group – Open Group); Programmes; Adjunct Complimentary Therapies; Prosocial and Social re-integration oriented activities; and referral to other appropriate supports within the community to address specific aftercare challenges (Housing, employment, legal, social welfare, etc.)

Support for Recovery, and the building of recovery capital, is a key part of Aftercare/Continuing Care, supported through engagement with Ballymun Recovery, supporting Recovery Champions, and the recruitment of Mentors on the Boxing Clever programme.