“Aftercare” is a general term used to describe any ongoing or follow-up treatment for substance abuse that occurs after an initial rehab program. No matter the setting, treatment provider, or methods used, the goals of addiction aftercare programs are the same and include:

• To maintain recovery from substance use.
• To find ways to prevent relapse.
• To achieve a life filled with rewarding relationships and a sense of purpose.

Many individuals first embark upon their substance abuse treatment journey with a period of detoxification.  Depending on the substances abused and the recommendations of a treatment professional, this first-line measure may require medically assisted detox.

Although detox is an effective first step, alone it is rarely adequate for long-term abstinence from Alcohol and other drugs. Upon successful completion of detox, many recovering individuals continue with a period of structured addiction treatment—either in an inpatient/residential or outpatient setting.

Although the time line for rehab or any formal treatment duration will vary, at some point this phase of recovery will approach an endpoint. Ongoing recovery efforts, however, are likely and encouraged to continue. This is where diligent aftercare planning becomes important. Substance abuse treatment programs that make lasting recovery a priority will not send program participants on their way without a solid discharge plan and connecting them with quality aftercare programs.