The Dunes Case Management (DCM) Program
Chemical dependency is a chronic disease. Traditionally recovery programs have consisted of three components:
- detoxification
- followed by a residential program
- completed with an unsupervised continuing care plan.
This is a recovery approach we find to be a less than ideal. Evidence based studies indicate clients are more successful at staying alcohol and drug free when their recovery programs employ longer periods of structure, support, and accountability.
The Dunes Case Management (DCM) is informed by the knowledge client recovery is demonstrably enhanced by involvement in structured recovery activities featuring the support and accountability traditional programs lack. DCM is a one year post discharge program that encourages and supports clients in successfully following their individualized Dunes recovery plan. DCM incorporates help from each client’s “support team” enhancing the recovery process with structure and accountability. We know this is truly the missing piece in the continuum of care commonly available to those battling addiction today.
The leading cause for relapse is client failure to follow continuing care plans developed while they were in a residential program. Clinical teams serving many recovery facilities and long term psychiatric hospitals are all too familiar with the heartbreak of clients who have every intention of following their recovery plan when they get home—and then “life happens”, the plan is not followed, and relapse occurs.
DCM offers structure and accountability to help keep patients “on track.” Through a series of scheduled contacts, our advocates support clients and their families throughout the first challenging year of recovery. Yearlong random toxicology screens provide an added layer of accountability increasing the odds of long term recovery being achieved. DCM offers many benefits to clients and their families — the “bottom line” being DCM is specifically designed to greatly enhance recovery rates.
The Dunes is the first treatment program, to our knowledge, which incorporates the DCM scope of care and follow-up in its core programming provided to all of its clients. You can take comfort in the fact that DCM has added the necessary piece to the continuum of care to ensure our clients get the best possible chance for long term recovery.
Think of the residential portion of treatment at The Dunes is the “operating room.” This is where Dunes staff and clients collaborate to smash the idea that the client can ever drink or drug in safety. The Dunes Case Management Program is the key to the “recovery room.” In the DCM scenario Clients and their families are more effectively supported to build on the recovery foundation laid during treatment. DCM helps clients and their families maintain the momentum of early recovery and use the recovery tools identified and used at The Dunes to transform their lives through long term recovery.
