 |
If your teen is coming home from residential treatment for a drug or alcohol addiction, it’s a good idea for you and your family to create a recovery plan.
A recovery plan is a way to map out what you all want as a family going forward, building on the great progress your son or daughter has made during treatment. It’s a tool to determine what actions will best support his or her recovery and personal growth, while enhancing your family’s overall well-being.
A recovery plan is developed together with your child and contains both rewards and reinforcements for engaging in healthy behaviors, as well as consequences if expectations are not met.
(While some treatment facilities will refer to this as a home contract, a recovery plan is different in that home contracts are often developed by parents without any input from their child and tend to outline what MUST happen — or else.)
Wipe the Slate Clean
Before leaving for treatment, your child likely broke rules. Aside from substance use, there may have been issues with family interactions, school or job attendance, issues of privacy and respect, household chores, among other things.
It’s helpful to start with a clean slate. Think of this time as a new beginning — an opportunity to forgive past mistakes and problems and start fresh.
Creating Your Recovery Plan
Some families choose to put together detailed recovery plans in writing, where others have more casual conversations about it. Regardless of your approach, being clear about your expectations and areas of support as well as listening to what your son or daughter is willing to sign on for can go a long way toward improving your family’s well-being.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment