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Aftercare Program
Harbor House offers separate male and female Aftercare Programs.
The Aftercare Program is voluntary (unless court ordered)
and is available to all clients that complete the Primary
Care Program. Primary Care clients can attend the Aftercare
Program at the South Jackson campus after they have completed
30 days of treatment. The Program consists of weekly group
meetings facilitated by a trained counselor. The Aftercare
counselors monitor client progress, meet with clients on
an as needed basis and make referrals to other agencies and
organizations for additional services and support.
The goal of the Aftercare Program is to provide ongoing
peer-focused sobriety-oriented support for clients who want
it. Some of the areas that are covered during this phase
of treatment include helping clients to take active roles
in making continuing recovery plans. Clients are expected
to attend the weekly sessions and Twelve Step recovery meetings
on a regular basis, abstain from drugs and alcohol and harmful
behaviors, participate in the random drug screening program
and have a strong relationship with a sponsor.
The DUI Diagnostic Assessment Service
Harbor House is licensed to conduct DUI (Driving Under the
Influence) Diagnostic Assessment Services. This program is
for individuals who have been convicted of two or more DUI
violations and have had their driver’s license suspended.
This program was developed and sanctioned under the Mississippi
Implied Consent Law to encourage alcohol and drug treatment
and to reduce the suspension period for offenders.
Clients who acknowledge at the time of admission to the
Primary Care Residential Treatment Program that they have
been convicted of two or more DUI violations receive a summary
of the Mississippi Implied Consent Law, an hour of DUI educational
films and information on how to get their driver’s
license reinstated. A certified counselor then administers
an approved standardized test (Substance Abuse Subtle Screening
Inventory). The results of this test, in combination with
the initial intake, blood alcohol content report, motor vehicle
record and other information, are used in developing the
client’s Primary Care Residential Treatment Plan.
The Family Program
The Family Program is available to all families and friends
of active clients at Harbor House. It focuses on information
and education about the disease of addiction and is held
at the South Jackson campus on Thursday evenings (for a total
of six sessions). The major goal of the Family Program is
to provide families and friends with information and education
that allows them to understand the disease of addiction and
what they can do to begin the process of recovery. Families
are affected by addiction in many ways and they suffer many
consequences; their own recovery is essential for their welfare
and for that of the client. Families in the Program can sign
up for a formal family conference.
The Family Program covers the same six-week curriculum as
that of the educational program for clients. At the start
of each session the topic for the evening is introduced,
followed by a film, a brief lecture and a discussion circle
that includes the clients whose families/friends are in attendance.
The last fifteen minutes of the Program allow for clients
and families to visit and continue their discussion together
in small groups. The films provide information on the medical
aspects of addiction, the stages of recovery, the signs and
symptoms of relapse, spiritual advice on the dangers of enabling,
behaviors associated with denial and client testimonials
about relapses associated with cross addictions.
The Ropes Course
The purpose of the Ropes Course, which is also called adventure
based counseling, is to challenge groups of individuals to
work together as a team to overcome obstacles in an effort
to reach their goals -- those set by the facilitator and
those set by the participants themselves. As opposed to the
typical “feelings groups,” in which residents
sit around a circle and work through concerns verbally, this
approach to group therapy places participants in a hands-on
learning situation. The Course takes place over two days
(4 hours each day).
In many cases, this environment provides an opportunity
for the more withdrawn members to assume an active role in
the problem-solving process, while more headstrong members
are challenged to rely on other people for support versus
relying totally on themselves. The group moves through typical
stages: (1) forming, (2) norming, (3) storming and (4) performing.
A crucial component of the ropes course experience is the
process circle in which the members reflect on their experience,
sharing insights and feelings related to the activities.
Members set goals for themselves that are positive and meaningful
to the group as a whole and personally challenging. The idea
is for them to build upon personal and group strengths, while
eliminating, or minimizing negative, ineffective behaviors.
After completing several ice breaker activities, group members
are asked to come up with goals that will guide the group,
providing them with a compass to gauge where the group stands.
Some examples of group goals include working as a team, being
open-minded, honest, and willing and setting realistic goals.
The group is also asked to identify behaviors that it does
not want to tolerate. These behaviors usually include things
such as: general negativity, one person trying to run the
show, blaming, giving up and arguing. When this sort of negativity
arises, the members agree to confront and work toward changing
this behavior. Additionally, each member is asked to specify
two personal goals, usually related to character defects
identified in the treatment process, to work on throughout
the Ropes Course activities.
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