An introduction to Aftercare
Recovering from addiction is a journey. It can be slow, and it can also feel like a rollercoaster of relapses and recommitments. Recovery differs from person to person, and there isn’t one route to sobriety. At UGM, we walk with men and women through stabilization to our two-stage Recovery Programs — but what happens after formal recovery programming has ended? How do people build their independence while staying on the path of recovery?
Enter: Aftercare. “Aftercare is an essential part of moving from the beginning of life in recovery to experiencing a stable and healthy life,” says Aftercare Counsellor Jack. Here, we’ll be exploring what Aftercare looks like, and how UGM connects alumni from our recovery programs to resources as they continue their recovery journeys.
What is Aftercare?
Aftercare is a period of recovery care that sees people moving away from a structured recovery program they’ve finished and into sustainable life patterns that they dictate for themselves. The typical recovery journey at UGM sees men completing first-stage programming after six months and second-stage after 18 months, after which they are able to access Aftercare. On the women’s side, women are in the recovery stage for six to 12 months before entering Aftercare. After men and women have gone through the recovery stages, they’re referred to as alumni and alumnae.
Leticia, UGM’s Manager of Aftercare at the Women & Families Centre, notes that Aftercare is all about supporting alumnae as they transition to life outside of the centre. As part of our continuum of care, both men and women are encouraged to stay connected to the community they’ve built, maintain their healthy habits, and strengthen their leadership skills.
What does Aftercare look like at Union Gospel Mission?
Aftercare programming at UGM acknowledges and works to meet the different needs of the people we serve. In our Men’s Program, we focus on helping alumni transition to living independently and going back to work. Our Women’s Program has the same goals, but tailors its classes to also include the needs of moms and families that access UGM resources. Both Aftercare programs involve a number of supports:
Counselling
Men who are in Aftercare can access counselling at UGM anytime, even after moving out of UGM housing. Counselling is instrumental in providing alumni with a safe space to process hard emotions, and can also help them continue to identify circumstances in which they might be vulnerable to relapse. Through counselling, individuals in Aftercare can receive continued encouragement and actionable advice as they sustain their sobriety and healthy living.
Jack points out that counselling men in Aftercare is different from counselling them during the first two stages of recovery. Instead of acting as an accountability partner, he reminds them that they’re capable, and asks them, “What problems do we need to resolve so you can be capable of accomplishing your goals?”
Women who have completed their Recovery Programming are also able to come back to the Women & Families Centre to visit and have check-ins with their mentors or staff. Leticia shares that dedicated trauma counselling is available in the Recovery stages of the program; but in Aftercare women get to put what they learned to use. They recognize their emotions, they’ve healed from past trauma, and they’re also able to assess stressors in healthy ways instead of coping through their former addictive habits.
Education and internship opportunities
At UGM, we help connect people to education and career opportunities, and it’s so rewarding to see community members thrive after being given tools to manage stress and rebuild their lives.
Community members who have completed recovery at UGM have gone on to pursue formal education, re-enter the workforce, transition to new careers, and come back to help others. Some have completed bachelor and masters degrees, and have returned to work in industries like nursing, retail, and law. Many people have pursued trades, including plumbing, carpentry, and electrical work.
“What addiction does is it robs us of our self-worth, fills us with shame, guilt, and a sense of failure,” says Jack, “So when healing and deliverance comes to those places, we see God working in people’s lives so they can believe they’ve been created to contribute and thrive.”
At the Women & Families Centre, alumnae can apply for internships at UGM to help facilitate activities and groups, and be a support for other women going through recovery. Leticia says interns become strong pillars at the Women & Families Centre because they normalize the challenges other women may be going through in recovery by sharing their own experiences and struggles.
The Women & Families Centre also has a Peer Leadership Program, where alumnae can accompany women to appointments, to the pharmacy, or out for coffee. By walking with women who have similar lived experiences, alumnae can actively support their peers, give them hope, and model what sobriety — and its challenges — can look like. For some women, this can be a first step back into a work environment, and back into society after experiencing addiction or homelessness.
Leticia says she’s seen women become more empowered, more self-aware, and more focused on education and their careers through Aftercare. “With the support of the community, the challenges can be overcome,” she says.
Transitional housing
For men and women who have gone through recovery, having their own space is very important. “Being able to close the door, lock it, and have all your necessities in your space is fundamental to health,” says Jack. He says it brings feelings of safety and security to people who haven’t always felt that way while living in addiction.
UGM offers transitional and permanent housing spaces at our Downtown Eastside location in Vancouver — at the Women & Families Centre and at Maurice McElrea Place on East Hastings — as well as in Surrey at our affordable housing community, The Orchard. Our housing staff help men and women as they transition from being in the recovery program everyday, to being more independent and pursuing their own goals. We offer housing at below-market rates to remove financial barriers, and help alumni flourish and avoid homelessness.
But Leticia points out that the transition from being wrapped in community and support to having more freedom and solo time can be stressful as well as celebratory. It can feel isolating for moms who have to relearn how to manage life and finances. Going to doctor’s appointments, staying on top of their medication, and putting food on the table can seem like big challenges. That’s where the Aftercare team comes in. UGM’s Women & Families teams help women and their families adjust to the transition period, connect them with peer support, and make sure they never feel alone on their recovery journey.
Alumni associations
It takes community support for people to navigate tough seasons in life. UGM alumni connect with a variety of helpful community groups, whether at a local church or through organizations in the DTES. One example is the DUDES Club, an Indigenous men’s group that builds friendships and promotes health and wellness education and practices.
Alcoholics Anonymous or Al-Anon Family Groups are valuable support systems for men and women in recovery and their family members. “People in recovery from addiction talk about not feeling ‘normal,’” says Jack, “But among the community that’s facing the same struggles as them, they do feel normal.”
Our Women & Families Centre also has a community for alumnae, where women can learn about upcoming workshops and opportunities to develop their careers. As Jack notes, “Addiction isolates, so overcoming isolation helps addiction.”
A future full of hope
Aftercare is about helping people move from lives that are all about recovery to rich and full lives that include recovery. Jack reminds alumni that recovery does not define them; their story continues beyond it.
He also says that it’s amazing to witness reunification between men and their families. As men pursue long-term sobriety, they’re able to reconnect with their spouses, their parents, their siblings, their children — and that brings so much healing, reclaiming what was once lost.
Leticia sees the same: moms and their kids reconnecting, moms connecting with other moms in recovery and forming friendships, women giving back to their community after healing from trauma. She says she’s seen women in Aftercare understand their emotions and adjust their behaviours: instead of impulsivity or reactivity, they pause and take a moment to understand the root causes of their responses, and they have the tools to communicate well.
At the end of the day, Leticia says, all women in Aftercare know that no matter how long it’s been since they completed the Recovery Program at UGM, they still have a place to belong, where they’re supported and loved. Jack agrees: Aftercare at UGM will always be a safe place for men to come back to, address issues, and then keep moving forward in life.
If you or your loved one would like to know more about UGM’s recovery programs, please read more about The Sanctuary Stabilization and Supportive Recovery programs and our Men’s Recovery Program.
