| It's not unusual for people to know that they need | | | | involve planning changes in her usual at home routines |
| some help in getting over their alcohol abuse and | | | | and schedules; breaking patterns that lead back to |
| dependence, but not know how to start. They look at | | | | drinking; deciding what problem areas need to be |
| residential and long for the escape - isn't that what | | | | addressed and which can be deferred; and planning |
| really fuels the alcohol abuse anyway? - but shudder | | | | how to handle friends and family who will either |
| at the cost and disruption. Then they look at outpatient | | | | support or sabotage her efforts - most people will do |
| and that seems like too little help for so pervasive a | | | | some of both; and devising good follow-up procedures |
| problem. So they do what we all do, sit back, sigh, and | | | | to insure that the momentum that's been generated |
| wait until the next crisis to go through the whole | | | | doesn't get lost in the return home. |
| non-decision process all over again. | | | | All of this can be accomplished in a week or so and |
| Happily, however, if one looks hard enough there are a | | | | provides Jackie with a bit of respite and perspective |
| rare few other possibilities. Scattered across the | | | | but keeps a lot of the process under her control and |
| country are a handful of outpatient programs that | | | | at her discretion. Client success depends primarily on |
| have incorporated a semi-residential component into | | | | motivation and the client's belief that they can succeed. |
| their intensive and distance programs. These hybrids | | | | It offers choices and flexibility and allows her to pick |
| offer the best of both without the disadvantages of | | | | what she needs. Need a few more (or less) days? |
| either. | | | | That's fine - design it in as you go along. Try it out, |
| How's that work? | | | | adjust it, reconsider it, adapt, and adopt. |
| The concept is fairly simple. Combine short term, | | | | All this empowering at one third to one tenth the cost |
| intensive, outpatient treatment with a self-service | | | | of a typical residential program and without the |
| residential aspect. What's that? An example best | | | | substituting of one dependence for another. Nor does it |
| illustrates this. | | | | foster change in a fantasy environment that no one |
| Jackie (or Jack) knows she need treatment and thinks | | | | can sustain when they return home to all of the usual |
| she could use more structure and support than a | | | | realities of daily life. |
| therapist or typical outpatient program offers. But she | | | | Behavior change succeeds when people are |
| doesn't need or want the bells, whistles, and expense | | | | motivated, supported, and feel like their future |
| of a residential setting. Instead she decides to work | | | | prospects look better than their current realities. |
| with one of the two or three places offering good | | | | Success is the outcome of believing that it's possible |
| custom designed solutions. | | | | and desirable. All of this comes from having faith in |
| After extensive planning by phone and internet - and | | | | oneself, not in a particular program, and in finding help |
| possibly a visit if feasible - Jackie drives or flies into | | | | that is based on strengths, interests, and abilities, not |
| town on Sunday (with or without family) and checks | | | | weaknesses, "diseases," and a continuing focus on |
| into a good hotel near the facility. Monday through | | | | alcohol. |
| Friday she is involved in intensive assessment, planning, | | | | Do yourself a favor. Look for services which work |
| goal setting, and activities. Evenings she is developing | | | | with you and for you, not ones which seek to mold |
| new patterns, reading, writing, or just relaxing. The | | | | you into their "program" and spit you out as a |
| following weekend she may return home or | | | | slogan-mumbling clone. Don't become just another dry |
| experiment with two alcohol free days in a different | | | | drunk transferring your alcohol-focused life from bars |
| setting. | | | | to basements. You deserve more than that. See to it |
| The second week will be more intensive fine tuning of | | | | you get it. |
| Jackie's new day-to-day life and direction. It will usually | | | | |