New Support Program for Patients Who Have Completed Addiction Treatment Boosts Substance Use Disorder Patients First Year in Recovery at Recovery Centers of America at Lighthouse

RCA Partners with MAP Program to Strengthen and Support Patients During Crucial First Year

News provided by

Dec 18, 2019, 07:08 ET

MAYS LANDING, N.J., Dec. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Research indicates that one of the toughest times for patients with the chronic disease of addiction who do obtain help for their substance use disorder is right after treatment ends…

Patients leave the safe space of treatment center life and re-enter the world where challenges, obstacles, and triggers for their addiction confront them.

To provide assistance during this vulnerable time, Recovery Centers of America ("RCA") patients currently have a substantial alumni program, with 15,000 members, offering sober social, educational, and cultural events each week for former patients.

In addition to the alumni program, Recovery Centers of America at Lighthouse is piloting a new program for its patients that begins … after treatment.

The program, called MAP Care Solutions, features continued regular personal and online support for RCA patients after inpatient or outpatient treatment.

"Being able to connect to others in sobriety is central to developing a solid personal recovery. RCA and MAP Care Solutions provides a way for both the person seeking recovery and their family to develop and maintain that connection," said David Dorschu, chief executive officer at Recovery Centers of America at Lighthouse in Mays Landing, New Jersey outside of Atlantic City in southern Jersey.

Certified MAP peer support recovery specialists will be there for an RCA patient's journey after addiction treatment during the first twelve months or longer, if needed. These specialists help plan personal goals and recovery lifestyles; they also offer assistance regarding the identification of early relapse warning signs.

"We believe this additional support -- after the foundation of recovery principles have been established during inpatient and outpatient treatment-- will make a significant difference for many of our patients between relapse and long term recovery," said Dorschu.

Under the program, in the first 90 days, the patient's peer support specialist will connect with patients and their family by phone or video in four scheduled sessions per month. After that, 2 or more confidential sessions are scheduled. The peer support specialists reinforce new healthy behaviors, thinking patterns and successful habits of recovery.

MAP specialists are trained in multiple pathways of recovery to be nonjudgmental to help identify risky behavior, relapse triggers, and warning signs and to help work towards personal goals.

"Partnering with RCA Lighthouse, a premier provider of addiction treatment, is very exciting for MAP. We take the opportunity to help others in recovery very seriously and believe that continuous and personalized support along with ongoing recovery progress assessment will lead to improved outcomes in a variety of areas," said Jacob Levenson, CEO of MAP Health Management.

Recovery Centers of America (1-800 Recovery) provides comprehensive addiction treatment at seven inpatient facilities in South Amboy and Mays Landing, NJ; Devon, Pennsylvania; Westminster and Danvers, Massachusetts; and Earleville and Waldorf, Maryland. A full spectrum of Outpatient treatment is also provided at many of these facilities and in Vorhees, NJ. RCA also provides Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Trenton and Somerdale, NJ and in Lansdowne, PA.