Written by Brandon Okey. Mina Draskovic, B.Psy., reviewed this content for accuracy.

Your adult-aged child has finished rehab, and now it’s time to move forward; however, you may not know or feel ill-prepared to do that. So what can you do as a parent to support your young adult in addiction recovery? Keep reading to see how best to support them as they progress through this journey.

Continuing Care FAQ

From the drugfree.org website, here is a guide to help parents support their older children in recovery. It features a Q & A for continuing care in recovery.

Q: What Should I expect my child to gain from treatment?

A: When successful, treatment does three things:

Educates the patient about the diagnosis and the chronic nature of the disease
Provides an opportunity for patients to physically and emotionally stabilize and learn about strategies and skills that help prevent relapse
Construction of a continuing care plan on how to move forward and manage the condition, as well as staying abstinent and the requirements for achieving that goal

Q: What is meant by continuing care?

A: Continuing care is what happens after someone finishes addiction treatment. It’s commonly known as aftercare and involves specific things like using direct communication with the treatment program following a patient leaving rehab. It also includes outpatient counseling sessions, phone follow-ups, and activities in community support organizations. Less commonly, it can include social skills training, drug testing and feedback, counseling or family therapy for parents and young adults, and case coordination with schools and probation officers. Continuing care varies by treatment facility with some offering little aftercare while others offer much more.

Q: Should I ask the recovery center about the continuing care program they offer?

A: Absolutely. It’s important to establish what type of continuing care a rehab center offers. Parents should discuss the policies of the continuing program and details of the plan. Asking questions like, “What will happen after the program ends?” Do this early on in treatment. This will give you an idea of what to expect, so you can explore other options if necessary.

Q: What does a good continuing care plan look like for an adolescent?

A: The optimal continuing care program should have the following:

A counselor or support group with at least twice monthly sessions for the first month
At least weekly sessions for the following two months after recovery
Twice a month sessions for four months after
Continued regular checkups and monitoring for drugs provided by a professional
New activities they enjoy without friends who drink alcohol or do drugs

Develop your own program if the drug rehab center doesn’t provide a continuing program or is minimal.

Q: How do I know how often a young adult should be receiving treatment via continuing care?

A: A continuing care program can be months to years, depending on the severity of the individual’s addiction. For those young adults who had a dependence on multiple substances and experienced frequent episodes and relapses, more frequent outpatient sessions may be necessary. A continuing-care program can be adjusted when needed.

Q: Do Treatment programs offer services to support parents?

A: It depends on the treatment program, but yes, there are support groups for after a young adult finishes rehab. There is Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, Families Anonymous, and Smart Recovery, so check what’s available.

Need Assistance with Your Young Adult?

If you’re just beginning the process of addiction recovery with your young adult, we’re here to help give the care and support you, and they need. At Ardu Recovery Center, we take a holistic approach in treating adults with addiction. Contact us to learn more and take the next step in getting your child the help they deserve.

Brandon Okey is the co-founder of Ardu Recovery Center and is dedicated to empowering people on their journey to sobriety.