How Do Alumni Groups Work?

Addiction is a chronic and progressive disease that requires ongoing treatment. After you finish a treatment program, you will follow an aftercare plan that helps you stay on the right track. One type of aftercare you may participate in is an alumni community. Addiction treatment alumni groups consist of former graduates of rehab programs who remain connected with one another.

What is an Addiction Treatment Alumni Group?

Addiction treatment programs typically last between 30 and 90 days, but recovery is a life-long journey. As a result, many addiction treatment centers have alumni groups that consist of individuals who have completed rehab at that specific treatment facility.

Alumni groups may consist of people in all stages of recovery. They may also have people of all walks of life who struggle with addictions to a variety of different substances. The one thing they all have in common, however, is a dedication to continued sobriety and helping others achieve the same.

Alumni communities have three primary goals:

1. Provide a life-long community of sober support
2. Help recovering individuals avoid relapse
3. Offer education and life-skills training

What Activities Do Alumni Groups Participate in?

Alumni members will participate in activities that bring members together without the use of drugs and alcohol. These activities are not mandatory and are either free or low-cost.

Alumni communities may participate in several different activities, including, but not limited to:

• 12-Step meetings
• Beach days
• Sports games
• Volunteer events
• Talent shows
• Escape rooms
• Dinners
• Potlucks
• Holiday parties
• Concerts
• Movie nights
• Picnics
• Team-building activities
• Field days
• Bowling
• Addiction education workshops
• Fundraisers
• Annual reunions

People in early recovery may have a difficult time socializing without drugs or alcohol. They may also have a hard time finding something they are passionate about. Alumni groups are a great place for individuals to overcome their social fears and get involved in their recovery.

Benefits of Participating in an Alumni Group After Rehab

Participating in your treatment center’s alumni group after rehab can play a valuable role in your recovery. Alumni groups provide you with accountability, continued support, opportunities to grow, and so much more.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of addiction treatment alumni groups.

Ease The Transition From Inpatient Into Regular Life

Leaving a 30, 60, or 90-day rehab program and adjusting back to regular life isn’t always easy. While in rehab, you are in a safe and supportive environment. When you leave, you could be faced with triggers or obstacles that you struggle to deal with.

Being a part of an alumni group will provide you with the support, fellowship, and accountability you need to successfully adjust back to regular life. The more you become involved and participate, the less likely you will be to fall back into old behaviors or relapse.

Stay Connected With Your Treatment Peers

Some people travel for rehab while others go to the closest treatment center near them. Then, after rehab, people may return home, move out of state, or lose touch with other people they went to rehab with.

Addiction treatment alumni groups allow you to stay connected to the friends you make while in treatment. Even if people move far away, they can keep in touch via online groups, Zoom meetings, or forums that the treatment center hosts.

Receive and Give Continued Support

These groups let you connect with more people than just those with whom you went to rehab. They also allow you to connect with people who went to rehab before you and people who completed the program after you.

This means you can connect with people who have more time in sobriety for advice and guidance or newcomers when you are looking to extend a helping hand to someone else. Whatever the case may be, you’ll be able to form life-long connections.

Celebrate Successes and Milestones in Recovery

Whether it is a small success or a big one, you deserve to celebrate with the people you love. Alumni groups celebrate recovery milestones, like months or years of sobriety, and other successes, like obtaining employment, securing housing, or paying off a legal fee.

When you are a part of an alumni program, you will always have a positive and supportive community to celebrate the milestones that are important to you.

Join an Alumni Community That Cares About Your Sobriety

At New Jersey Addiction Interventions, we are dedicated to being there for you throughout your recovery journey. Our team can help you every step of the way – from evidence-based therapy and aftercare to alumni and recovery-based support groups.

We know that recovery is an ongoing process, which is why we promise to stay by your side. To learn more about our treatment programs or to find a rehab near you with a supportive alumni community, contact us today.