Connect365 provides the support individuals need following residential treatment
Recovery coaching is a term that describes the relationship between coaches and residents post-treatment. According to the Association of Addiction Professionals (NAADAC), “Peer Recovery Support Coaches act as a recovery and empowerment catalyst: guiding the recovery process and supporting the individual’s recovery goals and decisions.” NAADAC also defines the relationship between coach and participant as a way to share lived experience to support the recovery process. Leaving treatment and getting re-adjusted to life can be challenging. Sierra Tucson’s Connect365 helps to bridge the gap between residential treatment and life in recovery, providing ongoing support for individuals for one full year following treatment completion.
Recovery is the process of overcoming a number of life obstacles. Whether individuals come to Sierra Tucson for trauma, chronic pain, eating disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, or addictions, a support network can be an integral component in living a healthy, balanced life in recovery. Connect365 coaches do not tell participants what to do; rather, they are available as a support member to share experience, strength and hope as individuals navigate the recovery path. Oftentimes an objective, non-judgmental support member can help to shed light on suggestions one might receive from a family member, sponsor, employer, or therapist. Also, hope and motivation from a Recovery Coach provides the support a participant may need to endure difficult days.
Accountability is one of the most important factors in early recovery. Connect365 focuses on participant accountability by using the Collaborative Care Model, which allows the participant to focus on his/her recovery while the Recovery Coach takes care of the communication between support members. Whether participants need drug testing, meeting attendance accountability, boundary support, or weekly progress reports, the Connect365 Recovery Coach serves as a part of the participant’s support team. Navigating new boundaries and reinforcing previous ones can be tough in early recovery; together, the Recovery Coach and participant work on facing life’s challenges with healthy solutions.
Another important factor in early recovery is establishing an ongoing connection with others. Changing habits and creating new ones is a daily process, one that requires support. When participants stay connected to their support team through secure web messaging, video conferencing, telephone calls, and face-to-face meetings, their relationships – including the one between coach and participant – are strengthened and sustained. Sometimes a person doesn’t know when support will be needed and thus, having a support member readily available each day could mean the difference between reverting to old habits and living an abundant life in recovery.
The goal of the Recovery Coach is to provide services that encourage and assist in positive behavioral changes for participants. The coach not only collaborates with the individual to foster long-term recovery, but also helps to improve his/her overall quality of life.