For many people, working with others is the touchstone of their recovery. This is the “It takes a village” concept of recovery. This includes working with recovery professionals, as well as recovery peers. It also must happen on the other side of the recovery realm. It is important that those administering mental health and addiction care also work with others. This is the foundation of community-based integrative treatment.
What Exactly Is Community-Based Integrative Treatment?
Community-based integrative treatment is becoming a more popular form of recovery. Yet, many people are still somewhat unfamiliar with it.
According to the peer-reviewed article, Integrated Treatment of Substance Use and Psychiatric Disorders, “Epidemiological studies find that psychiatric disorders, including mental disorders and substance use disorders, are common among adults and highly comorbid. Integrated treatment refers to the focus of treatment on two or more conditions and to the use of multiple treatments such as the combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. Integrated treatment for comorbidity has been found to be consistently superior compared to treatment of individual disorders with separate treatment plans.” Now, while this journal focuses on comorbidities, it should be noted that integrative treatment does not require one to have them.
Community-based integrative treatment involves people from all realms of recovery. This includes the involvement of therapists and psychotherapists, recovery coaches, fitness and wellness guides, social workers, addiction counselors, and recovery communities such as those in 12-Step programs.
What Does Community-Based Integrative Treatment Look Like?
Community-based integrative treatment looks active. It looks involved, and it looks comprehensive.
For example, an individual engaged in community-based integrative treatment may utilize psychotherapy sessions, medication management, 12-Step meetings, yoga classes, and the guidance of a recovery coach.
Community-based integrative treatment also involves interacting with others in recovery. This may involve the sponsor/sponsee relationship that is practiced in 12-Step programs.
The primary text of 12-Step recovery (most commonly known as the “Big Book”) states, “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking [and using] as intensive work with other [people in active addiction and recovery]. It works when other activities fail.” Ultimately, when everyone within the recovery community works together and looks after one another the chances for everyone’s recovery success go up exponentially.
What Are the Benefits of Community-Based Integrative Treatment?
The primary benefit of community-based integrative treatment is that it aids in ensuring sobriety and reduces the chance of relapse. However, there are also many other, more tangible, benefits that come from integrative treatment. The following are just a few of those benefits:
- Helps one build an extensive and expansive “sober network,” which can be relied upon if any “triggering” situations arise
- Supports the building of communication skills
- Creates more accountability, especially when a recovery coach is utilized
- For those utilizing medication management, it keeps them more engaged with psychiatrists, specialists, and doctors
- Helps keep recovery interesting and engaging by introducing new people and new treatment modalities to a recovery plan
- Keeps people in a state of service, and by helping others they ultimately help themselves
- Helps one maintain long-term sobriety
Utilizing Community-Based Integrative Treatment for Long-Term Recovery
There is a saying in 12-Step recovery that goes, “If you stay in the middle of the pack, you are less likely to get picked off.” This pack mentality is a big reason why recovery communities are so important for long-term success. Being involved requires accountability, and accountability is one of the keys to recovery.
This involvement includes the continued involvement of those on the other side of the recovery aisle. Community-based integrative treatment also means that those involved in the treatment center process are also engaged post-treatment. Now, this may not mean direct involvement on a daily basis, but it may mean check-ins, or even simply creating a long-term recovery plan that leaves an opening for engagement if the individual starts to feel unsteady in their recovery plan.
According to the journal, Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.), “One could therefore argue that the true measure of a successful implementation process and effectiveness of any implementation endeavor lies in the sustainment phase. Maintenance or sustainment of outcomes of interest can serve to demonstrate and validate the value of investments and expenditures, ultimately translating to better care for patients.” Just as it takes a community to care for one another. It takes time for a community to adequately care for one another.
The Benefits of Comprehensive Care at Lantana Recovery
Here at Lantana Recovery, our treatment doesn’t stop just because someone has finished their residential stay. No, we create long-term recovery plans with continued involvement with our local recovery community and recovery specialists.
Recovery is not about getting an old way of life back. It is about acquiring a new and better one. One that exceeds what we could have ever imagined possible when we were in active addiction. It takes a village to get us there, and here at Lantana Recovery, we are proud to say that we are a part of it.
Our ethos here at Lantana Recovery lies in community-based integrative treatment. This means that we utilize many professional and non-professional services in tandem to help our clients heal. It also means that we focus not just on healing the individual but also on healing the loved ones that surround them. This is the “it takes a village approach,” and it can be highly effective in helping people achieve optimal recovery. If you feel like you or a loved one may be struggling with issues of addiction or mental health, we can help you and your loved ones recover. For more information on the benefits of community-based integrative treatment, please reach out to Lantana Recovery today at (866) 997-2870.
