Transitioning from a treatment environment back to everyday life can be daunting for teens and their families. Receiving proper support throughout this journey is critical to long-term, successful outcomes and a strong family connection.
At Newport Academy, we are dedicated to supporting children, teens, and their families long after they leave our care. Our aftercare plans are designed to facilitate a smooth transition home with appropriate stepdown care, assistance to reintegrate at school, and community support. We collaborate with each client and their family to provide personalized discharge planning that addresses their unique needs.
What Is Aftercare and Why Is it Important?
Aftercare plans provide a structured framework that helps clients and families maintain the progress made during treatment, ensuring that they have the tools and resources necessary to thrive long term.
An effective aftercare plan takes into consideration recommendations for continued care, logistical and financial circumstances, school placement, and other factors that contribute to the child or teen’s overall well-being. Studies show that providing adolescents continuing care services immediately following treatment supports recovery.
What Is Discharge Planning?
Discharge planning is the process of preparing clients and their families for the transition home from residential treatment and to a lower level of care after residential or outpatient treatment. It includes a detailed aftercare plan developed by a team of clinical experts. Discharge planning is important for clients leaving both residential treatment and Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) to maintain treatment outcomes, to seamlessly continue with stepdown care recommendations, and to manage life at home as a family after treatment.
How Does Newport Create an Aftercare Plan?
The care team meets weekly to assess each client’s progress and refine aftercare recommendations. Newport’s clinical experts make recommendations based on what will best serve each child and support them in maintaining the gains made in treatment. Working hand in hand with the family, the team also considers what’s available in the client’s geographic area, what educational environment will be the best fit, and what tools the family needs at home to ensure ongoing recovery.
Stepping Down from Residential Care
Here are some of the essential elements of discharge planning for clients leaving residential treatment at Newport.
Continuing Care
After returning home from residential care, many teens benefit from the structure and support provided in an outpatient treatment program. Our clinical experts will recommend the continuing care level that is best suited for the client and family. Newport offers the following outpatient services:
- Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP). PHP offers full-day programming, five days a week with evenings at home. Teens benefit from comprehensive clinical care through individual, group, family, and experiential therapy, in addition to an accredited academic program.
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). IOP includes programming 3–5 days a week, typically from 3:00–6:00 pm, so teens can attend their home school.
- Virtual Outpatient. Our virtual Intensive Outpatient Program, available in several states, provides ongoing clinical therapy and a supportive structure for those without convenient access to an outpatient location.
Newport Academy has outpatient programs across the country, but if there are no Newport programs within driving distance of the family’s home, our continuing care planning team will recommend another trusted program, and assist with referrals and admission.
Education
School placement is another consideration during continuing care planning. Our team works with the family to ensure that upon discharge, their child is entering a safe academic environment with healthy and supportive peers. Our education team liaison will communicate with the child’s home school to facilitate a smooth transition back to the classroom and update teachers on any credit recovery or credit advancement completed during the client’s time with us.
Family Plan
Healing is a journey that continues at home. Throughout treatment, all families take part in regular Attachment-Based Family Therapy sessions, which help mend parent-child relationships and provide effective tools for communication.
A successful transition home requires families to put these tools into practice on their own in addition to setting boundaries and parameters for expectations and consequences. A family therapist will work with families to create a plan specific to their goals and family dynamics. Each family member is responsible for their part in making it a success.
Stepping Down from Outpatient Care?
For our outpatient programs, the client’s primary therapist develops their aftercare plan. Stepping down from a PHP setting might involve continuing care at an IOP, a virtual IOP, or outpatient program once or twice a week. This might include individual therapy, family therapy, or both.
The therapist will also support PHP clients to transition back to their home school. Our educational liaisons communicate with teachers regarding the client’s academic progress during treatment.
In addition, a teen’s outpatient aftercare plan could include recommendations for continuing therapeutic activities within the community setting, like Mixed Martial Arts classes, music or art.
Staying Connected Online and In Person
Regardless of whether a client is leaving a residential or outpatient program at Newport, community and connection don’t have to end after treatment. Our robust Alumni Program provides the foundation for a supportive community. We offer separate programming for parents and for teens, as well as special online and in-person events for the entire family.
- Quarterly gatherings, in-person or virtual
- Tailored support groups
- Online parent support groups
- Alumni app for secure/monitored online community
- Parent meetups
- Resource library
- “Stories of Hope” webinars where families share their experience
- Monthly family groups
Take the First Step
Our compassionate staff is standing by, ready to help.
We'll answer your questions and ensure you have a path forward.