Substance Abuse Prevention and Relapse
After completing a short-term therapeutic intervention or a long-term residential treatment program, many teens may continue negative patterns of behavior upon returning home. Relapsing is common and is considered part of the recovery process.
Typically, students transition from a highly structured program to a more permissive environment in the home where there is a significantly higher degree of peer influence and often times, greater temptations. The same friends and the same temptations may still be present.
Aftercare within the first three months of returning home greatly reduces the chances of relapse, and according to The National Institute on Drug Abuse, "aftercare is a necessary component of treatment." Aftercare helps retain gains made in other treatment programs or placements and is just one of the many services that Charles Elias and PRN for Families offers.
