The Council on Recovery’s Relapse & Renewal Clinic™ officially launched January 3rd but, already, a strong and enthusiastic response is confirming the importance of its groundbreaking approach to helping alcoholics and addicts stay sober.
“The response has been great,” says Lori Fiester, LCSW and Director of The Council on Recovery’s Center for Recovering Families. “In just a couple of days, we’ve received many calls from people struggling with their sobriety and at risk of relapse. The Relapse & Renewal Clinic is one of the most important sources of help we can offer them.”
The Relapse & Renewal Clinic is a comprehensive outpatient program that combines support, education, group therapy, and personalized treatment to prevent back-sliding (or slipping) and strengthen the desire to stay sober. The intensive four-week program, which includes one-on-one assistance from a Recovery Support Consultant, gives participants sufficient time to practice sobriety skills and better connect with the local recovery community.
The Relapse & Renewal Clinic is an alternative to residential treatment or sober-living facilities when such approaches may not be necessary or affordable. The Clinic is open to all adults, regardless of length of sobriety or number of relapses.
The Relapse & Renewal Clinic is located at The Council on Recovery, 303 Jackson Hill Street, Houston, TX 77007. For more information call 281-200-9290 or visit www.councilonrecovery.org #RelapseandRenewal
The Council on Recovery has launched Houston’s first Relapse & Renewal Clinic™, a revolutionary program to save the lives of alcoholics and drug addicts who are struggling with sobriety, even after completing inpatient rehab or participating in 12-Step groups.
The Council on Recovery’s Relapse & Renewal Clinic
“People often get out of treatment and enter 12-Step groups only to find they’ve still got the compulsion to drink or use,” says Mel Taylor, President & CEO of The Council on Recovery. “Over 65 percent of them relapse within their first year of sobriety. Relapse devastates lives, shatters hopes, and is sometimes deadly. It’s a huge cost to society and our healthcare system.”
The Relapse & Renewal Clinic is a comprehensive outpatient program that combines support, education, group therapy, and personalized treatment to prevent back-sliding (or slipping) and strengthen the desire to stay sober. The intensive four-week program gives participants sufficient time to practice sobriety skills and better connect with the local recovery community.
A groundbreaking feature of the Relapse & Renewal Clinic is its use of Recovery Support Consultants to provide direct one-on-one assistance. Each Consultant is trained in relapse prevention and sobriety support, and also an active member of Houston’s recovery community. They guide Clinic participants by encouraging attendance of 12-Step meetings, helping them navigate recovery resources, and being a reliable, understanding person to contact at times of struggle or potential relapse.
The Clinic also serves those who have been sober a while (sometimes years), but find themselves struggling against relapse, or what some in the mental health community call “pre-lapse”. “Our program anticipates these struggles and provides immediate solutions for both preventing relapse and renewing confidence in sobriety,” says Lori Fiester, LCSW and Director of The Council on Recovery’s Center for Recovering Families.
“The key advantage is that participants don’t have to start over in the treatment process, but rather engage in their recovery where they are,” Fiester says. “We don’t focus on negatives, like shame of relapse, but instead take the time to explore deeper issues within sobriety that need attention. This instills resiliency and self-care that build healing and strength. And, whenever possible, we involve the entire family in the recovery process. In this way, the program both saves lives and heals families.”
The Relapse & Renewal Clinic is an alternative to residential treatment or sober-living facilities when such approaches may not be necessary or affordable. The Clinic is open to all adults, regardless of length of sobriety or number of relapses.
The Relapse & Renewal Clinic is located at The Council on Recovery, 303 Jackson Hill Street, Houston, TX 77007. For more information call 281-200-9290 or visit www.councilonrecovery.org #RelapseandRenewal
On January 3, 2017, The Council on Recovery will launch its first-ever Relapse & Renewal Clinic™, a revolutionary approach for helping alcoholics and drug addicts in recovery who are struggling with sobriety, even after completing inpatient rehab or participating in 12-Step groups.
“All too often, people get out of treatment and enter 12-Step groups only to find they’re still threatened by the compulsion to drink or use,” said Mel Taylor, President & CEO of The Council on Recovery. “Statistics indicate that 65% of those people relapse within their first year of sobriety. This is the single greatest risk to the recovering individual and an exploding cost to society and our healthcare system.”
The Relapse & Renewal Clinic™ is a comprehensive outpatient program that combines support, education, group therapy, and personalized one-on-one assistance to help address back-sliding and strengthen the desire to stay sober.
“The Council on Recovery has taken the lead to reduce relapse by creating this strategic and ongoing positive-intervention program,” said Taylor. “We provide the necessary tools and skills that are otherwise missing for many people post-treatment. We help them implement an immediately actionable plan for preventing relapse and maintaining their enthusiasm for recovery,”
The Relapse & Renewal Clinic™ is directed by renowned behavioral health clinician, Lori Fiester, LCSW and Director of The Council on Recovery’s Center for Recovering Families.
“Sometimes, people who’ve been sober a while –even years– find themselves struggling against relapse, or what some in the mental health community call ‘pre-lapse’.” Fiester said. “Our program anticipates these struggles and provides immediate solutions for preventing relapse and renewing confidence in sobriety. It’s both intensive and supportive, and, whenever possible, we always involve the entire family in the recovery process.”
“The program’s biggest advantage is that participants don’t have to start over in the treatment process, but rather engage in their recovery ‘where they are’,” Fiester said. “We don’t focus on negatives, like shame of relapse, but instead take the time to dig into the issues that arose in early sobriety that still need attention. We help clients build resiliency and self-care that heals and strengthens.”
The Relapse & Renewal Clinic™ is a 4-week program which gives participants sufficient time to practice recovery skills and connect more deeply with the recovery community. Beginning with a clinical assessment, participants develop an action plan comprised of psychoeducational classes and group counseling sessions held at The Council. In addition to personalized treatment, each Clinic participant is assigned a Recovery Support Consultant to provide direct one-on-one assistance, as well as support for continuing to attend 12-Step meetings.
“The Recovery Support Consultant is the key to the success of the Relapse & Renewal Clinic™,” Fiester said. “Each Consultant is specially trained in relapse prevention and sobriety support, and is an active member of the Houston recovery community. They are uniquely qualified to guide Clinic participants, whether that means taking them to 12-Step meetings, navigating treatment resources, or just being a reliable, understanding person to call at times of struggle or potential relapse.”
The Relapse & Renewal Clinic™ is designed as an affordable alternative to going back into a residential facility or sober-living arrangement when such approaches may not be possible or necessary. Priced on a monthly basis, the Clinic is available to everyone regardless of length of sobriety or number of relapses.
“Relapse is a huge threat to recovery that has not been effectively addressed, until now,” Taylor said. “The Relapse & Renewal Clinic™ is our solution to that threat. It’s based upon solid research and our experience providing treatment to families for more than 70 years. For many, it will mean renewed hope for lasting recovery.”
The Council on Recovery’s Relapse & Renewal Clinic™ is located at The Council’s main campus, 303 Jackson Hill Street, Houston, TX 77007.
Alcoholism and drug addiction in families are hard on children, especially at this time of year. For children ages 7-12 whose parents are struggling with substance abuse, the greatest gift may be a break from it all—a chance to have fun, express feelings, and heal the hurt. Kids Camp at The Council, December 29-31st, is that gift and registration is still open to all.
Kids Camp at The Council helps kids learn they are not alone and that other kids and families have similar experiences. Through art, games, role-play, and fun activities, kids learn to identify and express feelings, develop self-care skills, and deepen communication with their family.
Parents, caregivers, and teen siblings join the children for portions of the program, including family education and support. All services are provided in a safe and confidential setting.
Kids Camp at The Council helps parents and children open lines of communication and heal the hurt in their relationships. By learning about addiction in an age-appropriate way, kids gain valuable insight and understanding. The entire family learns new skills and is given the tools to recover.
It takes great courage to address the struggles and obstacles your family may be experiencing. Now is the time to show your children that family can prevail, healing is possible, and there is hope for a brighter tomorrow. Kids Camp is one gift that will keep giving throughout the year.
To register for the upcoming Kids Camp at The Council, December 29-31st, call 281.200.9299 or email children@council.org.
STUDY SHOWS BINGE DRINKING & ALCOHOL ABUSE RISING IN PEOPLE OVER 50
An alarming increase in unhealthy alcohol use and binge drinking is occurring among adults age 50 and older, according to a new study conducted by New York University. The increase is particularly troubling given the negative impact alcohol can have on chronic disease management and risk of injuries prevalent in this age group.
“Older adults have particular vulnerabilities to alcohol due to physiological changes during aging, including increasing chronic disease burden and medication use,” Benjamin Han, MD, MPH at NYU Langone Medical Center, recently told sciencedaily.com. Han’s study also found a greater increase in binge alcohol use and alcohol use disorder in women in the nationally representative sample from 2005-2014.
“As females age, they tend to experience a larger impact of physiological changes in lean body mass compared to men,” said Dr. Han. “Thus, they may experience the adverse effects associated with consuming alcohol even in lower amounts. Health care providers need to be made aware of this increasing trend and ensure that screening for unhealthy alcohol use is part of regular medical care for this population.”
The public health concerns raised by this research are highest for older adults who reported fair to poor health and/or multiple chronic conditions. In response to these concerns in Houston, The Council on Recovery has prevention, education, and treatment programs that address alcohol and substance abuse in people over 50. As the oldest and largest non-profit organization providing such services in the Greater Houston area, The Council has been the starting point for Baby Boomers needing help for many years. The Council can be reached at 855.942-4100.
Note: An abstract of the study, “Demographic trends of binge alcohol use and alcohol use disorders among older adults in the United States, 2005–2014” published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.11.003
