Recovering from addiction might start at a rehab facility, but the journey to sobriety doesn’t end there. True recovery often includes aftercare and continuing support, and an alumni support program offers both. At Beaches Recovery, the alumni program is well developed, offering former clients plenty of ways to stay involved and continue the healing process.

Monthly Alumni Support Program Meetings

A significant benefit of professional recovery programs is that clients get in-person accountability. However, many clients struggle once that accountability disappears at the end of a program. Through an alumni support program, the accountability remains.

Beaches Recovery offers monthly alumni meetings. On the second Thursday of each month, there is a chance for former clients to get together in a social setting. There is food and fellowship, as well as an emphasis on continued sobriety. At the last meeting, 37 alumni from our recovery program attended.

Regular meetings like this are so helpful for former clients. The positivity and encouragement of a meeting can last for weeks, propelling alumni into continued success until the following meeting. Many attendees cite alumni support groups as one of the best tools in their fight against relapse.

Annual Gatherings

Over the course of the year, many seasonal events bring joy as well as fear to the recovering. These include New Year’s Eve events, summer barbecues and formal banquets. Unfortunately, these holidays often include drinking alcohol. As an alternative, alumni can enjoy annual gatherings that celebrate the seasons without getting in the way of sobriety.

Alumni can attend our annual BBQ, or they can bring a basket of food and soak up the sun at the annual summer picnic. The spring banquet marks the end of the winter, and the fall banquet is a wonderful celebration of the changing seasons. Our New Year’s Dinner is particularly special because it is a day when relapse is common for many alumni who once struggled with addiction.

At these annual gatherings, the fellowship is a priority. There are also guest speakers who inform, educate and inspire attendees. Medical professionals like Dr. DeCarvalho might be speakers. Alumni who have encouraging and compelling stories to tell will also speak at these events.

Community Involvement Opportunities

One of the best aspects of our alumni program is it offers the chance to give back to the community. Real addiction recovery is not just about abstaining from drugs or alcohol. It is also about contributing to those around you and making a difference in others’ lives.

Sometimes, that is as simple as joining a community softball game or participating in the local Butterfly Festival. It can also be about fostering new relationships at a local block party. The Recovery Walk is an excellent way to bring about awareness, and Holiday Handouts to the Indigent allow alumni to help others tangibly.

Helping Others With Their Recovery

An alumni support program helps the alumni, but it can also help current clients. The alumni program at Beaches Recovery means that alumni can play an active role in helping others who are currently struggling with their addiction. Alumni can join the alumni committee, or they can speak to current clients at our Tides Edge detox facility or in rehab therapy groups.

Beginning the Recovery Process at Beaches Recovery

Before someone can participate in an alumni support program, they need to complete the recovery program. That might start with detox services, or it could begin with rehab. Clients at Beaches Recovery will have access to a wide range of comprehensive therapies along with a custom treatment plan. Just some of the strategies used in the recovery process include the following:

An alumni program is incredibly helpful for those who need continued accountability and support after rehab. Beaches Recovery in Jacksonville, Florida, offers an alumni support program along with a range of other helpful programs and services. Begin your journey to recovery by calling us at 866.605.0532 today.