After Care

Program
By: Ms. Kristine Dionisio
Everyone has a purpose in lifea
unique gift or special talent to give to
others. And when we blend this
unique talent with service to others,
we experience the ecstasy and
exultation of our own spirit, which is
the ultimate goal of all goals.
Deepak Chopra
After Care Program
The fundamental reason for an aftercare program is to
prevent relapse. A regular visit to the coordinators and
constant meeting with the support group would provide
bonds that will help the client gain sobriety while
transitioning to the community.

The following are the basic steps in Aftercare:

Give Clients a Continual Care Sessions
Teach the Clients about Their Individual Triggers
Create Sessions that will Address Their Stress and
Cravings
Create a Relapse Prevention Program
Monitoring
Monitoring is the regular observation and recording of activities
taking place with the client. It is a systematic and purposeful
routine gathering of information regarding the client.
It is the most important part of supervising clients. Monitoring
includes evaluation of information and providing feedbacks on how
the program affects the client. It is also a way of acknowledging
the facts and adjust the program in certain circumstances.

THINGS TO DO:
Home Visits
One-on-One Talks
Work Place Visits
Family Interactions
Support Group
Meetings
The support group meetings are made in order to provide help to clients
in solving their issues and concerns. The group meeting is led by the group
leader and facilitated by the BCSC.

The group is composed of 8-10 members depending on the number of

clients in a barangay. It will have a group leader and assistant leader who
will be responsible for coordinating with the members of the group.

Support Group can be classified as,

Peer Group
Mens Group
Womens Group
Minors Group

The purpose of the support group meeting is to provide an environment

that would help the client express their issues and concerns freely.
Relapse Prevention
Guidelines in Preventing Setback in Addiction
Recovery

Motivate the client in making a solid decision to go on any

length to stay out of prohibited drugs;
Be open to client when they need help, advise him to ask for
either his family, friends or your help;
Instruct the client to talk to someone when they feel like
taking drugs or alcohol;
Keep your phone line open for client calling for recovery calls
(call from client to talk about his desire to take drugs or
alcohol and diverting his attention into something else)
Guide the client in planning his weekly activities and meet
them in either morning or evening for counseling.
Relapse Prevention
Guidelines in Preventing Setback in
Addiction Recovery

Orient the client on how to have a balanced lifestyle.

Remind him not to get TOO HUNGRY, TOO ANGRY, TOO
LONELY or TOO TIRED;
Provide activities in the community to keep them
preoccupied and focus on other things; and
Once the program started, assign them a partner that
they would be monitoring or after finishing the program,
let the client volunteer in supervising new clients.
STAGES OF RELAPSE
EMOTIONAL
RELAPSE
In emotional relapse, the client is not thinking about using.But the clients
emotions and behaviors are setting them up for a possible relapse in the future.

SIGNS:
Anxiety
Anger
Defensiveness
Mood swings
Intolerance
Isolation
Not asking for help
Not going to meetings
Poor eating habits
Poor sleep habits
MENTAL RELAPSE
In mental relapse there's a war going on in the clients
mind.Part of the client wants to use, but another part of him
doesn't.
SIGNS:
Thinking about people, places and things client
used
Glamorizing past use
Lying
Hanging out with old using friends
Fantasizing about using
Thinking about relapsing
Planning relapse
Techniques in Dealing with Mental
Urges
Play the scenario through.
Advise the client to tell someone that they are
having urges to use.
Remind the clients to distract themselves.
Instruct them to wait for 30 minutes when they
are having urges.
Do the clients recovery one day at a time.
Make relaxation part of the clients recovery.
PHYSICAL RELAPSE
The client is
buying and
using prohibited
drugs or alcohol .
ACTIVITY
Developing an All Purpose
Coping Plan
When clients are most stressed, they may feel vulnerable and be
more likely to return to old, familiar coping strategies than use the
healthier but less familiar strategies they have practiced during
sessions. It is important to try to develop a generic, foolproof
coping strategy that can be used in the event of any major crisis. This
should include, at minimum, the following.
A set of emergency phone numbers of supportive others who can
be relied on
Recall of negative consequences of returning to use
A set of positive thoughts that can be substituted for drug-use
thoughts
A set of reliable distracters
A list of safe places where the patient can ride out the crisis with
few cues or temptations to use (e.g., a parents or friends house)
IF I RUN INTO A TEMPTING
SITUATION:
1.I will leave or change the situation. Safe places I can
go:______________
2.I will put off the decision to use for 15 minutes. Ill
remember that my cravings usually go away in ___
minutes and Ive dealt with cravings successfully in the
past.
3.Ill distract myself with something I like to do. Good
distractors:
4.Ill call my list of emergency numbers:
Name / Contact Number:________________________
5.Ill remind myself of my successes to this
point:_____________
6.Ill challenge my thoughts about using with positive
thoughts:_________________
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.