Reintegrating back into everyday life is often the most vulnerable point in an addict’s recovery, as new values, behaviours, and attitudes are put to the test in the outside environment. Portage’s two-year Aftercare Program helps graduates manage this challenge, giving them support and tools to help them withstand negative influences and cope with the stresses of mainstream society.
“There is increasing recognition in the field of substance abuse treatment that addiction is a chronic and relapsing condition,” states Peter Vamos, Executive Director of Portage. “For this reason, aftercare is an integral part of any treatment program, and an ongoing continuum of care approach to treating addiction produces best results.”
In an effort to continually improve the quality of services, Portage recognises that aftercare support needs to be more long term, and that even two-years of dedicated services is often not enough for an individual to maintain long term sobriety.
To this end, Portage’s approach to aftercare includes both direct services in the form of workshops, groups, supportive counselling, adjustment counselling, and family counselling, as well as access to a network of outside community resources. Portage has been working to develop relationships with service organisations in clients’ home communities so that they have continued direct access to local support for as long as they need.
“We recognise that maintaining a drug-free lifestyle is a great challenge and that our graduates will need services in one form or another for years to come,” explains Mr. Vamos. “We expect that by combining our aftercare services with a network of community resources in the individual’s home community, we will be able to better respond to our clients’ needs.”
