What Does “Continuum of Care” mean?
The dictionary definition of the word ‘continuum’ is defined as anything that goes through a gradual transition from one condition to a 
different condition without any abrupt changes. People in chemical dependency use the term continuum of care to describe the recommended steps involved in going from illness to wellness.
Having a drug and alcohol addiction is not like having a broken bone; there isn’t one easy way to fix it. Instead, drug and alcohol addiction is often characterized as a “chronic and progressive” disease, meaning that there is often no cure at all. Not taken seriously, drug and alcohol abuse usually becomes progressively worse and may result in death. Because of this fact, women’s drug and alcohol rehab should not be taken lightly. The recovery process takes an extended period of time, typically long after the female drug addict and/or alcoholic has received initial residential treatment for her addiction. It is for this reason that many experts in the world of chemical dependency favor a course of drug and alcohol recovery for chemically dependent women which includes a gradual transition of physiological, psychological, and spiritual conditions from an unhealthy state (chemically addicted) to a healthy state (chemically free). This process is referred to as a continuum of care.
The MHR Center for Women Difference in Recovery
At The Mark Houston Recovery Center for Women, we define drug and alcohol rehab as the following: a voluntarily maintained lifestyle composed and characterized by sobriety, personal health, and citizenship. And while The MHR Center for Women is NOT a treatment center; we work hard to create a positive drug and alcohol rehab experience for women to teach them the life skills that they will need in order to live out the rest of their lives as sober, responsible individuals. Our objective is to model the realization that we are all physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual beings. Our skilled all-female staff members artfully demonstrate how to integrate all four of these elements into the lives of women who are addicted to drugs or alcohol with the purpose of experiencing the sense of inner peace necessary to achieve permanent recovery, happiness, and joy in daily living.
Primary Rehab Involved in the Continuum of Care
Realizing that true drug and alcohol recovery is a lifelong process is often a difficult pill to swallow. For this reason, it is important for family members of women who are addicted to drugs or alcohol to continue encouraging their female family member or friend by demonstrating patience and support. Realize also that here at Mark Houston Recovery Center for Women, we have all struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, and we continue to work on our own recovery each and every day. We are constantly augmenting our knowledge and skills in order to help educate you on what you need to know in order to help your loved one get through this difficult time. Working together, drug and alcohol recovery can be a journey to look forward to. Let’s take a look at process involved with drug and alcohol recovery where a continuum of care is included.
Extended Care Regimen at The MHR Center for Women
Physiological - This phase involves having a daily schedule where residents get adequate amounts of sleep, work out five days a week with our physical trainers as well as develop skills needed to maintain healthy nutritional habits.
Mental/Psychological - Much of drug and alcohol recovery has to do with altering the way that we think. Many residents that come to The MHR Center for Women come to us with little impulse control or with problems related to self-talk and their “thought life”. What do we mean by “thought life”? From the time you get up in the morning, you have a voice that is always present in your mind. This voice can encourage you to have a good day or it can bring you down and make you feel bad about yourself. We refer to this as your “thought life”. By helping our residents take action via our 12-steps program as well as by helping them implement the skills that they will need to live sober lives, residents will experience a dramatic change in their self-talk and thought life.
Spiritual – In this phase, the recovering alcohol addict is made to focus on her true self, her higher power, and her sense of others. She is also encouraged to practice whatever spiritual beliefs she may have and get involved with her community.
Transitional Sober Living
It is not uncommon to find that many women who complete a drug and alcohol recovery program will often relapse back into the same drug and alcohol addictions that they battled previously. (See 12 Month Guarantee) Much of this has to do with the lack of transition involved from the time a resident walks out the door from a drug and alcohol recovery center to the the time they step foot back through the door of their own house. For many residents, the transition out of the safe environment that has been created for them in a drug and alcohol recovery center to one in which they are facing the “real world” on their own can be scary.
The Mark Houston Recovery Center for Women provides a safe, secure, sober living environment for women who are recovering from drug and/or alcohol addiction. Through the Transitional Sober Living program, residents are in an environment where there are ALL-FEMALE live-in house managers, curfews and mentors. All of this is put in place so that there is still some degree of accountability and discipline in the lives of these women who are transitioning out of our drug and alcohol recovery program.
The above is a model of what a continuum of care should look like for a woman who is recovering from a drug and/or alcohol addiction. However, each woman will progress with her continuum of care at different rates and with different results. Therefore, like with anything else, it is difficult to construct just one approach on how to handle chemical dependency and continued care. According to some studies; in general, recovering alcohol addicts will require anywhere between one to five years in order to find some sort of a balance between the mind, body and spirit, but as a general rule, the continuum of care should be applied for at least a minimum of twelve (12) months following initial treatment for an addiction.
At The Mark Houston Recovery Center for Women, we have first-hand experience with drug and alcohol addiction as well as drug and alcohol relapse prevention and intervention. We also know that you have a choice when it comes to choosing the right kind of drug and alcohol recovery program for your family member or loved ones. This is part of the reason that we are proud to offer our women residents with the optional 30-day, 60-day and a minimum 90-day recovery programs (see Admissions), transitional sober living, one year monitoring program and more! Additionally, our staff members are equipped with the knowledge and experience to fully explain the benefits and challenges of a long term plan of continued care for you and your loved one. They are excellent resources who posses a wealth of information, and we encourage you to talk to one of them today. Contact The Mark Houston Recovery Center for Women at 877.383.4426 to find out what a life of permanent sobriety and abundance can be like.