1.Assessment and Orientation

This phase is seen as lasting about a month. During this time, the resident will be oriented to the full program at New Beginnings, an individualized treatment plan will be initiated, and work with the counselors will be started. The plan of recovery will use group and individual counseling, educational sessions, and participation in AA/NA meetings. The following will be completed before entrance into Phase II: History and physical, family assessment, spiritual assessment, cultural/ethnic assessment, sexuality assessment, educational/vocational assessment, legal/financial assessment, history of drug/alcohol use, a nutritional screening and a diagnostic summary.

2.Stabilization and Rehabilitation or Habilitation

In this phase, the work of treatment in a therapeutic community is the full-time occupation of the resident. The fundamental understanding is that alcoholism and drug addiction are primary illnesses that are the cause of many of the problems in the resident’s life. This is the guiding element as the resident participates in individual and group counseling, educational groups, and the AA and NA support group meetings held at the facility. In this phase, individual treatment plans are updated for each resident to help the resident examine and understand the emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal antecedents and consequences of his or her drug use. (We consider the problems of the addict/alcoholic to be nearly the same once we take the focus off the drug of choice and place the focus on the resident suffering from a disease.) Daily work guided by the proven record of the 12 steps of recovery will be supplemented as needed by cognitive behavioral concepts which are effective in recognizing craving and responding appropriately to the craving. In this counseling modality, uncovering the destructive thinking patterns of the resident and then developing ways to refute these patterns is particularly helpful in countering the “stinking thinking” common in 12-step parlance.

The transpersonal approach of the 12 steps, particularly the development of an appreciation of the spiritual tools of recovery, is combined in this phase with the rational and behavioral tools. During this stage, which is expected to last three months, residents will have completed the first five steps of recovery and begun work on steps six through nine. Phase II will include contact sessions with persons in the community who have a good understanding of recovery obtained through personal experience. Each resident will be expected to obtain a “sponsor” while in the program. During Phase II, resident will attend AA and NA meeting at the New Beginnings facility; attendance at outside meetings will begin in Phase III. During Phase II, where appropriate, some educational testing and training (GED for example) will begin. Community based training in job readiness, computer certification, etc. at local facilities may follow this. All educational and vocational efforts will be subordinate to the recovery measures and the acquisition of life skills begun early in this phase.

3.Re-Entry and Employment

Phase III, which may last a year or more, is aimed at a holistic re-integration of the resident into society. The services provided in this phase are diverse and are tailored to the educational, vocational, and social deficits presented by each resident. In this phase, the resident will be expected to obtain suitable employment, if available, begin paying rent to the facility, continue his/her service obligations in the program, finalize aftercare program with his/her counselor, develop a training plan to acquire additional skills or education, and prepare for ultimate re-entry into the community. Intense family counseling may be appropriate during this re-entry phase for both the resident and significant others. To the extent practical, progress through the first nine steps of the 12-step recovery process will have been achieved during this final phase. The final individualized aftercare and continuum of care plan in this phase will include a detailed relapse prevention plan and measures/criteria for discharge.