What is a “Recovery Associate”?
Treatment gives you the tools to succeed but you will have to use those tools once you get home.
For anyone that has been through treatment for a substance use disorder (or that has worked in treatment) you might remember a saying that is often told to clients prior to their discharge: “Treatment gives you the tools to succeed but you will have to use those tools once you get home.”
The client usually responds to that statement via nods of agreement and then carries on with the remainder of their day. It isn't until they get home that they truly realize the gravity of what was being told to them. You see, what is taught in treatment in order to maintain recovery are typically tried and tested theories that assist in warding off cravings, recognizing triggers, communicating needs more appropriately, building a support network, and so on. These are all very important in maintaining one’s recovery from a substance use disorder IF they are practiced outside the safety of a treatment program.
Learning something in theory is part 1, though, applying the theory’s methodology is part 2. Based on reports from client and professional experiences, it seems that part 2 is where many people fall short.
Let’s illustrate this using an example:
Jimmy, a 25 year old receiving inpatient treatment for a moderate-severe opioid use disorder, is discharging home today. On his way out of treatment, the center’s case manager hands him his discharge plan paperwork. According to this paperwork, Jimmy is recommended to attend community support meetings (12-step, SMART Recovery, Refuge, etc…), obtain an individual therapist within the first week of returning home, identify and set an appointment with a psychiatrist for medication management, and check in weekly on the center’s Alumni virtual support meeting. Additionally, Jimmy was told by his in-treatment therapist that diet and exercise are important for him along with developing a daily mindfulness practice.
Jimmy arrives home, spends time with his family, and reviews his discharge plans before bed. His mind begins to race with anxiety over everything he has to get done all on his own, especially after everything has been arranged for him for the last 45 days while in treatment. Jimmy wakes up groggy in the morning, still anxious, and begins to search online for community support groups. He is smacked with an overwhelming number of local meetings and is unclear which one would be right for him to attend. He decides to push that decision off until later and alters his search to look for local therapists. His search reveals therapists that specialize in DBT, CBT, EMDR, trauma, positive psychology, marriage and family, and the list goes on. Jimmy’s head is spinning on what type of therapy he needs. This too gets pushed off for “later” and this pattern continues as he stumbles his way through recommended diets, attempts at exercising, and locating a psychiatrist. And mindfulness meditations? Forget it.
A couple week’s pass and Jimmy feels helpless in following through with his aftercare recommendations. He understood the importance of all of this in treatment but following through on this plan alone has become too overwhelming. Jimmy reverts back to old habits, people, places, and things in which he feels comfortable, and eventually he begins using again.
Now, it goes without saying that the Jimmy example above is spoken in generality, and while this example is obviously not always the case, it is also not a rarity for those leaving treatment. This is a perfect example of when a person could use a Recovery companion, or as Next Level calls it, a “Recovery Associate.”
So, what is a Recovery Companion/Associate?
Next Level Recovery Associates, under the services tab on this website, defines a Recovery Companion:
“Recovery Companions, also known as Sober Companions, are professionally trained individuals that provide individual support to our clients during times that may be exceedingly challenging or risky. Next Level’s ‘Recovery Associates’ are hand selected for each client based on the situation and the client’s specified needs. Our goal is to always lift our client’s up with compassion, dignity, and professionalism and to offer each client the individualized tools they need to succeed in any scenario.”
When is a Recovery Companion/Associate helpful?
Recovery Associate’s are not only helpful for scenarios like the one provided above but are also helpful for people attending events that may yield a lot of temptation, business trips, family vacations, traveling home from treatment for short periods of time, long transition periods, short transitions, and even to have safe and professional accompaniment during flights or long car rides.
What does a Recovery Companion/Associate do?
A Recovery Associate is much more than just a person that just shadows someone during travel or transition periods. They are professionally trained experts in helping clients to implement healthy strategies and coping mechanisms. They are familiar with the treatment and recovery process so they are able to delicately guide clients in whichever way the Associate and client identify is necessary. In the example given above, a Recovery Associate would’ve been able to help Jimmy make careful decisions in choosing his supports and even be able to schedule appointments, accompany to said appointments, and then help to filter out what is working and what needs to be altered in the plan in order to best support Jimmy’s recovery moving forward.
A Recovery Associate is also able to provide emotional support in times of turmoil that often occur in early recovery from substance use disorders. Recovery associates are not “baby sitters” but instead they are supportive, positive, and professional figures that are there to personally and discreetly guide someone through what can be, for some, an extremely confusing and difficult time.
A recovery companion can be extraordinarily helpful in acting as an advocate for the newly recovering person. If a client receives the tools in treatment for success, it’s the job of a recovery companion/associate to assist the client in how to use those tools in their daily lives.
To learn more about Next Level Recovery Associates Inc’s Recovery Associate services, click here or go to the contact page in the menu bar above to speak to an NLRA team member further!
Here is a short video from the Co-Founders of Next Level Recovery Associates Inc discussing Recovery Companions: