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Establishing and Sustaining Family Drug Court Alumni Groups

Success Strategies fromSuccess Strategies from Family Drug Court Alumni Programs

Family Drug Courts: A National Symposium to Improve Family Recovery, Safety and Stability

Agenda

• Opening Remarks

• Engagement

• Retention

• Roles and Responsibilities

O t• Outcomes

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Alumni

“Continuing care allows kids and families to stay yconnected, receive valuable reminders of the tools they learned during the program, as well as the opportunity to practice and deepen these emerging skills.”

~ Betty Ford Institute

Alumni Engagement

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Early Involvement

• Client's involvement should start before program completioncompletion

• Include as an action step on their discharge treatment plan for continued care

• Link them with active alumni member before discharge from program

Consistent Presence

• Current clients need to know alumni is part of their ongoing recovery plan

• Alumni is a visible entity always in the treatment center

• Multiple Alumni events monthly

• Newsletters, announcements,

flyers, advertisements, calendars

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Mentors

• “If I can do it you can do it”

• Build meaningful relationships with those whoBuild meaningful relationships with those who have similar stories

• Know their story and match them appropriately

• Recovery Specialist

Make it Fun

• Pot lucks• Pot lucks

• Social events after meetings

• “Sober Fun Nights”

• Include family and those part of their sober network

T l t k b i t f• Tools to make sobriety fun

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AlumniRetention

Incentives

Rates of participation will increase by providing incentives

Housing Vouchers

incentives

- “Alumni of the Month”

Highlight the use of naturally occurring incentives

Best intrinsic motivator: PraiseThere appears to be no ceiling as long as it is sincere

- Continued Sobriety, Community Linkage, Reference Letters

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Coordination of Care

• Connect Alumni to additional resources and support systems

• Continued Case Management

• Staff and Alumni Coordinator linkageCoordinator linkage

• Alumni as participants in community outreach efforts

Low Burden Delivery

Bring the meetings to the members

Rotate sites and times

Choose the location that is conducive to children

Offer childcare if possible

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Keep Members Involved and Informed

• Responsibility of Alumni Coordinator or SecretarySecretary

• Summarize past meetings and events for distribution

• Calendars and Newsletters

• Send reminders of upcoming meetings and events

• Keep dates consistent and expected

Allow for Success

Participants need to feel success to stay engaged

Have staff assist with planned events during the beginning stages of creation to increase chances of success

P t l i t i i Post alumni success stories in the center

Continuous praise and recognition

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Alumni R ibiliti dResponsibilities and

Outcomes

Alumni Responsibilities• Attend monthly Alumni Meetings

• Participate in Monthly Alumni Activities

• Attend Orientation Groups

• Link with clients as Mentors

• Fundraising Efforts

• Community OutreachCommunity Outreach

• Represent the treatment facility

• Foster a supportive environment of continued sobriety

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Alumni Responsibility

• Creating an Alumni Council

• Characteristics needed for leadership

- Willingness to work with clinic staff

- Willingness to contribute time

- Enthusiasm

- Ability to motivate and engage alumni

• Accountability - Creating action items and follow up

Expectations

• Successful Alumni Organizations take time- Riverside Family Preservation Court took 3

years to develop stabilityyears to develop stability

• Lack of involvement during beginning stages is expected- Keep monthly meetings scheduled whether 1

or 20 people show up

• DON’T GIVE UP!

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Outcomes of Successful Alumni

• Increased rates of long term sobriety

• Increased engagement and retention of active Clients

• Decreased recidivism rates

• Referral sources

Outcomes of Successful Alumni

“An alumni program contributes to the ongoing success and growth of a treatment programsuccess and growth of a treatment program itself…When our clients reconnect with family, friends and colleagues in healthy and successful endeavors, this speaks volumes for the effectiveness of the treatment center where the client received services.”

"Improving alumni relations: an active alumni program can reinforce recovery principles and boost a treatment center's marketing". Addiction Professional.

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Outcomes of Successful Alumni

“The presence of an active alumni program is significant to clients’ long-term wellness as wellsignificant to clients long term wellness as well as to the financial health of a treatment organization, as many active alumni will become enthusiastic program supporters.”

L i Ob l i di t t th~ Lorie Obernauer, alumni coordinator at the

Center for Dependency, Addiction and

Rehabilitation (CeDAR)

Q&ADiscussion

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Contact Information

Alexis BalkeyProgram AssociateProgram Associate

Children and Family Futuresabalkey@cffutures.org

If you want to access TTA on developing or sustaining your Alumni/Aftercare Program g y g

please send your request to fdc@cffutures.org