Alcohol Rehab Aftercare Programs

Aftercare is a form of support that can help you stay on track with your recovery after you complete a formal treatment program, such as inpatient or outpatient rehab.¹

This article will help you understand what alcohol rehab aftercare is, the benefits of an aftercare program, and how to find both treatment and aftercare that’s right for your needs.

What Is Aftercare?

Aftercare, sometimes referred to as continuing care, is a type of posttreatment monitoring and ongoing recovery management that takes place once a person has completed a more intensive form of rehab.^{1, 2}

Alcohol use disorder (AUD), the diagnostic term for alcohol addiction, is a chronic, relapsing disorder that can require additional efforts to maintain recovery.¹ Alcohol rehab aftercare is designed to provide recovery support, help a person maintain the progress they’ve made in treatment, prevent relapse, and address a return to substance use, should it occur.^{1, 2}

An aftercare plan can involve one or more types of support, which may include: ^{1, 3}

• Participating in support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).
• Participating in a step-down form of treatment, such as transitioning from inpatient drug and alcohol rehab to outpatient care.
• Different forms of individual or group therapy.
• Medication for AUD (e.g., naltrexone).
• Recovery housing, such as sober living.
• In-person recovery management checkups with your treatment provider.
• Mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP).¹
• Telephone or online follow-ups.
• Technology-based interventions, such as mobile apps.
• Alumni programs offered by your rehab.

Benefits of Alcohol Recovery Aftercare

Alcohol recovery aftercare can provide numerous benefits to people who are resuming their lives after treatment and those who have been in recovery for some time.¹ Aftercare is generally a good idea for anyone in recovery, but people at a higher risk of relapse—such as those with a family history of substance use disorder (SUD)—may especially benefit from different types of aftercare.¹

Benefits of alcohol rehab aftercare can include:^{1, 2, 4}

• Helping you readjust to your life after treatment.
• Keeping you engaged in the recovery process.
• Monitoring your progress.
• Helping prevent relapse.
• Addressing a return to substance use if it occurs, such as helping you get back into treatment or adjusting your treatment plan.
• Helping address mental health symptoms that may reoccur in people with co-occurring disorders.
• Addressing other life problems before they become more serious.
• Helping you build on the skills you’ve learned in rehab.

How to Create Your Rehab Aftercare Plan

Before completing rehab, your treatment team will work with you to craft an alcohol recovery aftercare plan that’s personalized to your unique needs.³ This is typically included in your comprehensive treatment plan.³

Your aftercare plan will consider not only your substance use, but also your risk of relapse, which may be influenced by your motivation during treatment and your social support systems, as well as any associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, and legal problems you may be facing.^{1, 5} The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) explains that an effective aftercare plan should consider four dimensions for recovery, including your health, home, purpose, and community.⁶

The creation of an aftercare plan will vary but may involve the following steps:⁷

1. You will discuss your situation and needs with your rehab counselor, who will identify any challenging areas where you might need extra support, such as employment or housing.
2. With your counselor, you will select the specific supports and resources that will be a part of your aftercare plan.
3. You will start to participate in these aftercare activities once you leave rehab.
4. You will create a regular schedule to check in with your counselor to determine how your aftercare plan is working for you and adjust as necessary.

Types of Alcohol Recovery Aftercare Programs

Many kinds of programs can benefit people on their recovery journey. As mentioned, the components of an aftercare plan can vary based on individual needs and preferences—what follows are some common types of aftercare support.

Alcohol Sober Living After Rehab

Sober living, also known as recovery housing, might be a part of your alcohol recovery aftercare plan. Sober living homes are supportive, substance-free residences designed to assist people who are leaving rehab and re-engaging with their day-to-day lives.⁴

They can provide a sense of community, help people work on prosocial behaviors, and provide peer support services that can help cement the skills people have learned during rehab while they transition back into everyday life.⁴

Each sober living home may have its own rules and expectations, and residents are generally expected to participate in community meetings, contribute to the upkeep of the home, and pay rent and other fees as applicable.⁴

Continued Outpatient Alcohol Rehab

People may continue to participate in less intensive outpatient programs as a part of their aftercare plans. Outpatient addiction treatment programs allow people to live at home and travel to rehab on a predetermined schedule to participate in treatment, which can include individual and group therapy and counseling.⁵ There are different levels of intensity of outpatient treatment, including standard outpatient care, intensive outpatient programs (IOPs), and partial hospitalization programs (PHPs).⁵

Alcoholics Anonymous and Other Mutual Support Groups

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a type of spiritually based mutual support group for people in recovery from alcohol addiction.^{8, 9} It’s free and available to anyone who wants support for alcohol-related problems.⁸

People cultivate reliance on a higher power and work through the 12 steps of recovery as a way of managing the urge to drink alcohol.^{8, 9} This can help them maintain sobriety, develop an awareness of the ways they’ve been living their lives, work on healthier ways to manage challenges without alcohol, and receive ongoing support as they continue their recovery from alcohol addiction.⁸

In addition to AA, other free community programs may be available through faith-based organizations, such as the Salvation Army, Teen Challenge, and Celebrate Recovery.⁹

Non-faith-based aftercare programs, such as SMART Recovery, are also available. SMART Recovery provides behavioral, cognitive, and motivational treatment strategies derived from more formal treatment offerings, but in a community-based mutual-help format.¹⁰ This is unlike AA, which uses spiritual principles.¹⁰

Ongoing Therapy

Ongoing therapy can help people maintain recovery and may be a part of your aftercare plan. This can take place in individual or group settings and may involve:⁵

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which can help prevent relapse and allow you to examine thoughts and behaviors that can contribute to substance use.
• Motivational interviewing (MI), which can help you find and maintain motivation to stick with positive changes.
• Contingency management (CM), which provides incentives for making and sustaining healthy habits and behaviors.

Medication Management

Continuing to take medication as per your care alcohol recovery aftercare plan may help support your recovery.¹¹ Medications may include:¹¹

• Naltrexone, which can help reduce heavy drinking.
• Disulfiram, which can help some people stop drinking by producing unpleasant symptoms if alcohol is consumed.
• Acamprosate, which can help you maintain abstinence.

Co-Occurring Disorder Support

A co-occurring disorder means that a person has a mental health condition, such as depression, in addition to alcohol use disorder (AUD).² An aftercare plan can involve different types of support for co-occurring disorders, such as counseling, medication, support groups, and many of the other forms of monitoring mentioned above.²

Peer Support Workers

Peer support workers have successfully navigated the recovery process and now help others facing similar challenges.¹² By fostering mutual empowerment, respect, and understanding, they support individuals in engaging and remaining committed to recovery, reducing the risk of relapse. Their role extends beyond clinical settings and can help you incorporate recovery efforts into your everyday life. Activities may include advocacy, community-building, mentoring, leading recovery groups, and beyond.¹²

Alumni Programs

Alumni programs are supportive networks designed for those who graduate from a rehab program. For example, when you complete a rehab program with American Addiction Centers (AAC), you automatically join the program’s alumni network. Alumni programs offer additional support to help you stay on track with recovery, such as helping you stay connected to your recovery network, fostering personal growth, and providing ongoing and regular access to different benefits, such as alumni events, alumni meetings, and the AAC Alumni app.

Start Your Recovery Today

If you or someone you care about are struggling with alcohol misuse or addiction, there are treatment and aftercare options that can help. American Addiction Centers (AAC) offers a range of treatment options that can begin with medical detox and continue to aftercare, which includes participation in our alumni program. We can craft a personalized treatment and aftercare plan for you or a loved one.

When you’re ready to reach out, please call us at to speak to an admissions navigator about your rehab and aftercare options. You can learn more about using health insurance to pay for rehab and easily verify your insurance in just a few minutes when you call or fill out the form below.