Recovery coaching

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Recovery coaching is a form of strengths-based support for people with addictions or in recovery from alcohol, other drugs, codependency, or other addictive behaviors. [1] There are multiple models, with some programs using self-identified peers who draw from their own lived experience with substance use and recovery and some utilizing people who have no lived experience but some training in support, depending on local standards and availability. [2] They help clients find ways to stop addiction (abstinence) or reduce harm associated with addictive behaviors. These coaches can help a client find resources for harm reduction, detox, treatment, family support and education, local or online support groups; or help a client create a change plan to recover on their own. [3]

Contents

Recovery coaches do not offer primary treatment for addiction, do not diagnose, and are not associated with any particular method or means of recovery. They support any positive change, helping persons coming home from treatment to avoid relapse, build community support for recovery, or work on life goals not related to addiction such as relationships, work, or education. Recovery coaching is action-oriented with an emphasis on improving present life and reaching future goals.

Recovery coaching is unlike most therapy because coaches do not address the past, do not work to heal trauma, and put little emphasis on feelings. Recovery coaches are unlike licensed addiction counselors in that they are non-clinical and do not diagnose or treat addiction or any mental health issues.

Relationship to life coaching

Similar to life and business coaching, recovery coaching uses a partnership model wherein the client is considered to be the expert on his or her life, the one who decides what is worth doing, and the coach provides expertise in supporting successful change. Recovery coaching focuses on achieving goals important to the client, not just recovery-related goals. [4] The coach asks questions and offers reflections to help the client reach clarity and decide what steps to take. Recovery coaching emphasizes honoring values and making principle-based decisions, creating a clear plan of action, and using current strengths to reach future goals. The coach provides accountability to help the client stay on track. [5]

Other similar terms

The moniker "recovery coach" is used for a variety of specific addiction support roles. The main distinction is between the professional or highly compensated recovery coach and the volunteer or agency-employed peer recovery support specialist. Recovery support roles include the following:

Sober escort

Sober Escorts (both singular & plural) are Registered Trademarks of Sober Escorts, Inc. U.S. Serial Number: 85611292 U.S. Registration Number: 4257653 [6] When Rick Parrish, founder of Sober Escorts, Inc., first coined the term Sober Escorts in 2004 & decided to so name his company, many in the recovery industry thought it unwise. However, the term and the company both caught on. [7]

A sober escort, or travel escort, is a paid sober travel companion or travel escort that accompanies a client to an event, to treatment, or to court, to ensure the client maintains sobriety. Transportation can be a significant challenge to a newly abstinent person. Whether the client is interested in maintaining an ongoing recovery or just needs to stay abstinent for a period of time, getting from point A to point B can be difficult. This version of a recovery coach may be required to transport a person in recovery across town, across the state, or across the county. [8]

Sober companion

A sober companion or sober coach works full-time with the client: full work days, nights, weekends or extended periods where the coach is by the client's side 24 hours a day. This long-term option can begin with treatment discharge and may develop into a coaching relationship that continues for several weeks, months or longer.

When returning home from treatment, the client trades a secure, drug-free environment for a situation where they know there are problems. The sober companion may provide the symbolic and functional safety of the treatment center. This coach will introduce the client to 12-step meetings, guide them past former triggers for their addiction, and support them in developing a recovery plan. The sober companion helps the client make lifestyle changes in order to experience a better quality of life in the first crucial days after discharge from a treatment center. Sometimes a recovery coach is necessary to keep a client sober in order to regain custody of a child. [8]

Recovery support specialist

A recovery support specialist (RSS) or a peer recovery support specialist (PRSS) is a non-clinical person who meets with clients in a recovery community organization or goes off-site to visit a client. [9] They may volunteer for these coaching services, or be employed by a recovery community organization for a low wage. The recovery support specialist ensures there is a contract for engagement, called a personal recovery plan. This is a key component of the recovery management model, which all RSSs follow. These specialists are sometimes also called "recovery coaches". William L. White, researcher and original author of the recovery management model, uses the term "recovery support specialist". This is referenced in the paper titled "Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC) Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Glossary of Terms", compiled by the Bureau of Substance Abuse and Addiction Services (BSAAS). [10] Another term for a peer recovery support specialist is "peer mentor". [11]

Family recovery coach

The family plays an important role for a person in recovery but is often neglected by traditional models of recovery. Specially trained family recovery coaches strive to create a calm, objective, non-judgmental environment for the family of a recovering addict. They are knowledgeable in specific models that help the family cope with the changes that they have gone through living with an active addict or living with a recovering addict. Regardless of an addict's choices, working with a family recovery coach may help a spouse, partner, or loved ones avoid the mental obsession that plagues many families affected by addiction and learn to lead sane and productive lives. [12]

Phone or virtual recovery coach

A phone or virtual recovery coaching relationship may be established to continue beyond the face-to-face meeting of a client and a recovery coach. [13] Today, many treatment centers are embracing virtual recovery coaching, and linking phone or virtual recovery coaches with clients prior to leaving treatment, as a way to continue the connection to the treatment center, as well as meeting the guidelines of an aftercare program. Online virtual coaching programs also exist, either fee-based or for free, that will help anyone apply the methods of recovery (e.g. developing a recovery plan and building recovery capital), whether the client has completed a stay at a treatment center or has relapsed many months after treatment.

Lawyers dealing with criminal drug cases or drug courts sometimes request a type of recovery coaching to ensure a client (perhaps under house arrest, enrolled in a drug court outpatient program or pending trial) stays sober as per the law's mandate. Recovery coaches with the required certification and legal knowledge are contracted for this purpose. Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialists, Licensed clinical social workers or certified alcohol and drug counselors with training in assessments can perform these tasks. The court will request them to perform a client assessment and work with the client on a continuing basis and re-assess after a period of time. The coach will then draft a letter to the court and offer suggested placement in a residential alcohol/drug treatment center, an outpatient treatment program, or a sober living facility. A legal support specialist can also appear in court with the client and provide transportation to or from the courthouse. [8]

In the emergency departments of hospitals

The AnchorED program, developed in 2014 with a group of Rhode Island hospitals and the Anchor Community Recovery Center in Providence RI, was launched in an attempt to reduce the instance of accidental opioid overdose by connecting overdose patients with Certified Recovery Coaches in the emergency departments of regional hospitals. The AnchorED program is now a benchmark in this field and is used nationwide. This program is meant to connect people experiencing an overdose or revived from an overdose in the ED in the hospital emergency departments with peer-to-peer recovery support. Specially trained ED Peer Recovery Specialists are on call to all Emergency Departments 24/7 and called in when individuals are transported to a hospital emergency department having survived an opiate overdose. The hours immediately after an overdose are medically risky, but they also present a unique opportunity. The AnchorED trained recovery coaches will ensure that patients and their families know that substance use disorder is a medical condition and that recovery is possible. Recovery Coaches engage with those who have survived an opiate overdose, listen and be present to answer questions patients may have about recovery supports or treatment options. These coaches also provide recovery and treatment information to family members. These same coaches offer post-discharge recovery contact and support to the revived patients for a period of weeks. [14]

History

In 2009 the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) piloted the first Recovery Coach Academy training, a 30 hour curriculum that provides people with an understanding of the skills needed while allowing time for practical application. Since that time, CCAR has developed a number of different professional development opportunities to help people keep up with their craft, offering many of their courses online. The CCAR curricula is excepted widely within the United States, as well as in other countries having trained over 50,000 people worldwide. In 2018 CCAR developed a designation for Recovery Coach Professionals in lieu of certification for those whose states do not have a model.

William L. White used the term "recovery coach" in his 2006 paper "Sponsor, Recovery Coach, Addiction Counselor", but later adopted the term "peer recovery support specialist" to emphasize a community-based peer model of addiction support.

White's Recovery Management model, adapted from the Minnesota Model, includes recovery coaching (peer recovery support specialist) and was developed in 2006. [15] Many recovery coaches use different recovery approaches adapted from the Minnesota Model. Schuyler developed a professional life coaching model for addiction recovery by blending the Minnesota Model and Harm Reduction model with the core competencies of the ICF.

Through the research of White, David Loveland, Ernest Kurtz, and Mark Saunders, and the efforts funded through Faces and Voices of Recovery, the Fayette Companies, Great Lakes Addiction Technology Transfer Center, the Chestnut Health Systems and many other universities, research on recovery coaching is progressing rapidly. The theory has been developed that recovery coaching reduces relapse by providing ongoing support developing healthy problem-solving skills and self efficacy (reaching worthwhile goals), as well as connecting with the local recovery community for additional support. In other words, recovery coaching helps the client develop the cognitive skills necessary for considering options and consequences, making clear choices, planning, and taking action toward a healthier life and recovery goals. [15]

Addiction recovery support groups

Recovery coaches encourage (but most do not require) participation in groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon, or non 12-step groups such as LifeRing Secular Recovery, SMART Recovery, Recovery Dharma, Moderation Management, and Women for Sobriety. They also work with individuals who dislike groups to help them find their own path to recovery.[ citation needed ]

Niches within recovery coaching

Recovery coaches may work with any type of addict. There are also niches within recovery coaching such as those who work exclusively with families of recovering individuals, or financial coach who works on rebuilding an overspender's credit rating. Many peer recovery support specialists work with individuals who have left the prison system and are attempting to rebuild their lives. Some recovery coaches specialize in emotional and financial recovery after divorce.[ citation needed ]

A few recovery coaches specialize in merging the characteristics of recovery coaching within a life coaching framework. This concept takes into account the often overlooked reality that those in early recovery tend to have unique difficulties in applying the realities of day-to-day living within their new sober lifestyle. Such unique coaching styles are able to span far beyond the recovery component and properly introduce outside influencers, such as family relationships, employment, schooling, and relationships,.[ citation needed ]

It is critically important to understand that addiction is unlike any other malady, in that, it "...exists and thrives within the sufferer’s body on three completely separate but interconnected planes; the physiological, the mental/emotional, and the spiritual." Therefore, simply addressing the act/s of drinking or using is never enough as a means for sustaining long-term sobriety. [16]

For those requiring a higher level of care, such as medical detoxification for heroin or opiate withdrawal, or 24/7 sober companion and oversight services, there exist recovery coaching firms that specialize in providing what could often be described as an alternative to inpatient or outpatient treatment.[ citation needed ]

What recovery coaches do

Recovery coaches support the client in achieving and maintaining a solid foundation in recovery and building upon recovery to achieve other life goals that make recovery worthwhile. David Loveland and Michael Boyle wrote a lengthy manual on recovery coaching and how to guide an individual through creating their recovery plan. [17] William White, preeminent scholar on addictions, worked closely with the Philadelphia community-based recovery center PRO-ACT to prepare a document outlining the "Ethical Guidelines for the Delivery of Peer-Based Recovery Support Services". [18] These documents provide a discussion of what a recovery coach does. Also included in these guidelines are the definition of coaching roles as they relate to others in the realm of personal conduct and conduct in service relationships with the community service provider or treatment team. White's document presents a simple statement of core competencies. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin or amphetamines. The general intent is to enable the patient to confront substance dependence, if present, and stop substance misuse to avoid the psychological, legal, financial, social, and physical consequences that can be caused.

<i>Intervention</i> (TV series) TV series

Intervention is an American documentary series that premiered on March 6, 2005, on A&E. It follows one or two participants, who are dependent on or addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. They are documented in anticipation of an intervention meeting by family or friends. During the intervention meeting, loved ones give the addict an ultimatum: go to an inpatient drug rehabilitation program immediately, or else risk losing contact, income, or other privileges. The show follows up on the recovery progress for future episodes or for web shorts.

An intervention is an orchestrated attempt by one or many people – usually family and friends – to get someone to seek professional help with a substance use disorder or some kind of traumatic event or crisis, or other serious problem. Intervention can also refer to the act of using a similar technique within a therapy session.

Substance dependence, also known as drug dependence, is a biopsychological situation whereby an individual's functionality is dependent on the necessitated re-consumption of a psychoactive substance because of an adaptive state that has developed within the individual from psychoactive substance consumption that results in the experience of withdrawal and that necessitates the re-consumption of the drug. A drug addiction, a distinct concept from substance dependence, is defined as compulsive, out-of-control drug use, despite negative consequences. An addictive drug is a drug which is both rewarding and reinforcing. ΔFosB, a gene transcription factor, is now known to be a critical component and common factor in the development of virtually all forms of behavioral and drug addictions, but not dependence.

Phoenix House Foundation was a national nonprofit drug and alcohol rehabilitation organization operating in ten states with 150 programs throughout the United States. Programs served individuals, families, and communities affected by substance abuse and dependency.

A sober companion is a human services-related career path with the goal of helping the client maintain total abstinence or harm reduction from any addiction, and to establish healthy routines at home or after checking out of a residential treatment facility. Although regulations do not exist for the specific sober companion position, ethical existing peoples and businesses abide by the U.S. standards of mental health treatment. A sober companion may be a part of a whole medical and/or a clinical team of professional(s), may be formally licensed as a mental health professional, or have well-respected experiential experience in the field and/or may work independently on their own.

A peer support specialist is a person with "lived experience" who has been trained to support those who struggle with mental health, psychological trauma, or substance use. Their personal experience of these challenges provide peer support specialists with expertise that professional training cannot replicate.

Drug addiction recovery groups are voluntary associations of people who share a common desire to overcome their drug addiction. Different groups use different methods, ranging from completely secular to explicitly spiritual. Some programs may advocate a reduction in the use of drugs rather than outright abstention. One survey of members found active involvement in any addiction recovery group correlates with higher chances of maintaining sobriety. Although there is not a difference in whether group or individual therapy is better for the patient, studies show that any therapy increases positive outcomes for patients with substance use disorder. The survey found group participation increased when the individual members' beliefs matched those of their primary support group. Analysis of the survey results found a significant positive correlation between the religiosity of members and their participation in twelve-step programs and to a lesser level in non-religious SMART Recovery groups, the correlation factor being three times smaller for SMART Recovery than for twelve-step addiction recovery groups. Religiosity was inversely related to participation in Secular Organizations for Sobriety.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LifeRing Secular Recovery</span> Addiction and recovery organization

LifeRing Secular Recovery is a secular, non-profit organization providing peer-run addiction recovery groups. The organization provides support and assistance to people seeking to recover from alcohol and drug addiction, and also assists partners, family members and friends of addicts or alcoholics. It is an abstinence-based recovery program with three fundamental principles: sobriety, secularity and self-empowerment. The motto of LifeRing is "empower your sober self."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secular Organizations for Sobriety</span> Non-profit network of autonomous addiction recovery groups

Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS), also known as Save Our Selves, is a non-profit network of autonomous addiction recovery groups. The program stresses the need to place the highest priority on sobriety and uses mutual support to assist members in achieving this goal. The Suggested Guidelines for Sobriety emphasize rational decision-making and are not religious or spiritual in nature. SOS represents an alternative to the spiritually based addiction recovery programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). SOS members may also attend AA meetings, but SOS does not view spirituality or surrendering to a Higher Power as being necessary to maintain abstinence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Lamm</span> Interventionist and author

Brad Lamm is an American interventionist, educator and author of many books including How to Help the One You Love: A New Way to Intervene (2010). How to Help details the theory and practice of a system of psychosocial invitation-based intervention named "Breakfree Intervention", which trains and utilizes "voices that matter" as an ongoing "support circle". He owns and operates Intervention.com as a family resource for those seeking help to intervene to help one they love with agency locations in New York City, Cape Cod and Los Angeles. Lamm is also the author of Just 10 Lbs (2011), a self-help book on the diet-obsessed public's "need to feed" and what he describes as “emotional eating” in the face of mounting evidence of the dangers of restrictive eating, fad diets and binge eating trends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre</span>

The Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre, or AARC, is a drug rehabilitation centre for adolescents and family members located in Calgary, Alberta. AARC specializes in treating young people suffering from drug addiction and alcoholism, and takes in clients who have been thought of as being too far-gone for recovery. The AARC program is a multifaceted drug treatment program that uses twelve-step recovery processes, peer pressure, family and group therapy. A survey conducted by AARC found they had an 80% success rate, and that former addicts can permanently abstain from using drugs or alcohol following treatment at the centre. Another study found that the "AARC program is a unique model for comprehensive, long-term adolescent substance use treatment with a high rate of treatment completion (80.5%)."

About 1 in 7 Americans suffer from active addiction to a particular substance. Addiction can cause physical, psychological, and emotional harm to those who are affected by it. The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as "a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual's life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences." In the world of psychology and medicine, there are two models that are commonly used in understanding the psychology behind addiction itself. One model is referred to as the disease model of addiction. The disease model suggests that addiction is a diagnosable disease similar to cancer or diabetes. This model attributes addiction to a chemical imbalance in an individual's brain that could be caused by genetics or environmental factors. The second model is the choice model of addiction, which holds that addiction is a result of voluntary actions rather than some dysfunction of the brain. Through this model, addiction is viewed as a choice and is studied through components of the brain such as reward, stress, and memory. Substance addictions relate to drugs, alcohol, and smoking. Process addictions relate to non-substance-related behaviors such as gambling, spending money, sexual activity, gaming, spending time on the internet, and eating.

Community reinforcement approach and family training (CRAFT) is a behavior therapy approach in psychotherapy for treating addiction developed by Robert J. Meyers in the late 1970s. Meyers worked with Nathan Azrin in the early 1970s whilst he was developing his own community reinforcement approach (CRA) which uses operant conditioning techniques to help people learn to reduce the power of their addictions and enjoy healthy living. Meyers adapted CRA to create CRAFT, which he described as CRA that "works through family members." CRAFT combines CRA with family training to equip concerned significant others (CSOs) of addicts with supportive techniques to encourage their loved ones to begin and continue treatment and provides them with defences against addiction's damaging effects on themselves.

Substance use disorders (SUD) can have a significant effect on one's function in all areas of occupation. Physical and psychosocial issues due to SUD can impact occupational performance. Unfulfilled life roles and disruption in meaningful activity can result from lack of structure or routine, poor motivation, limited skills, and poor social networks. These deficits may also contribute to stress, affecting the ability to cope with challenges. While SUD can affect a client's participation in therapy and ability to follow recommendations, occupational therapists are trained to facilitate occupational participation and performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sober Grid</span> Substance abuser social networking app

Sober Grid is a digital health company providing mental health addiction care around the world in over 170 countries.

PARfessionals is a private research development firm for Peer Support and Recovery Providers in Addictions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Ryan (recovery advocate)</span>

Tim Ryan is an American activist, drug abuse interventionist, author and speaker. He is the Founder and Executive director of “A Man in Recovery” foundation. According to the National Safety Council, Ryan is notable for his position in favor of Drug policy reform and as a proponent of legislative change in American drug policy. His work was the subject of the A&E series “Dope Man” in July 2017. Ryan is also the author of the 2017 memoir From Dope to Hope: A Man in Recovery.

Don Lawrence Coyhis is an alcohol and addiction recovery counselor known for designing treatment programs primarily for Native Americans. He is the founder and president of White Bison, Inc., a non-profit charitable organization devoted to assisting Native Americans who are affected by substance use disorders. In 1994 Coyhis started the Wellbriety Movement which aims to reduce substance abuse among Native Americans.

References

  1. ↑ "OASAS Recovery Coach". oasas.ny.gov. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  2. ↑ Satinsky, Emily N.; Doran, Kelly; Felton, Julia W.; Kleinman, Mary; Dean, Dwayne; Magidson, Jessica F. (31 January 2020). "Adapting a peer recovery coach-delivered behavioral activation intervention for problematic substance use in a medically underserved community in Baltimore City". PLOS ONE. 15 (1): e0228084. Bibcode:2020PLoSO..1528084S. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228084 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   6993963 . PMID   32004328.
  3. ↑ Kelly, John F.; White, William L. (23 November 2010). Addiction recovery management : theory, research, and practice. Kelly, John F. (PhD),, White, William L., 1947-. New York. ISBN   9781603279604. OCLC   695387309.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ↑ "The Role of the Recovery Coach: Journal of Management Policies and Practices". jmppnet.com. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  5. ↑ Coughlin, Kevin T. (8 August 2017). Christian Coaching; Life Recovery Coaching: Workbook and Journal for Coaches and. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN   9781974403318.
  6. ↑ "TESS -- Error".
  7. ↑ https://soberescorts.com/
  8. 1 2 3 Killeen, Melissa (August 2013). Recovery Coaching-A Guide to Coaching People in Recovery from Addiction (1 ed.). Seattle WA: Kindle Publishing. pp. 26–27. ISBN   978-1490968162 . Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  9. ↑ Austin, Drug Rehab; USA –206-9063. "Relapse Prevention Therapy". Infinite Recovery. Retrieved 19 February 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ http://www.williamwhitepapers.com/pr/ROSC%20Michigan%20Glossary%20of%20Terms.pdf − 75.0kb
  11. ↑ "IC&RC - IC&RC News". internationalcredentialing.org. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  12. ↑ Buncher, 2012
  13. ↑ Gilbert, Julian A. E.; Fisher, Ronald P. (2006). "The effects of varied retrieval cues on reminiscence in eyewitness memory". Applied Cognitive Psychology. 20 (6): 723–739. doi:10.1002/acp.1232.
  14. ↑ SAMSHA Recovery to Practice, Thomas F. Joyce LCDP, CPRS, Bryan Bailey, BSN, RN -PowerPoint Presentation on Supporting Recovery in Acute Care and Emergency Settings- https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/programs_campaigns/recovery_to_practice/supporting-recovery-in-acute-care-emergency-settings.pdf
  15. 1 2 White, William, Kurtz, Ernest, & Sanders, Mark (2006). Recovery Management, Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services, and the Great Lakes Addiction Technology Transfer Center, Chicago IL.
  16. ↑ "A Philosophy of Excellence | From Addiction to Sober Success". 13 August 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  17. ↑ Loveland, David, PhD, Boyle, Michael, MA., Manual for Recovery Coaching and Personal Recovery Plan Development, Chicago, IL, Fayette Companies working on a grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services, Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, 6 June 2005
  18. 1 2 White, William, (2007). Ethical Guidelines for the Delivery of Peer Based Support Services Faces and Voices of Recovery.org. One of the largest training organizations in the world, The Addictions Academy offers recovery coach training to the professional recovery coach
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