What happens when people leave an addiction treatment center? Ideally, they go on with their lives and they are no longer dominated by their drug or alcohol addiction. That’s the ideal. As we all know, it doesn’t always work out that way. Many will take what they have learned and move forward. Others will relapse, even if their treatment experience was excellent. Why does that happen? Usually, the answer lies with the addiction treatment social circle.
A patient’s social circle is often a significant determining factor of whether he or she remains clean or drifts back into addiction. Any reputable addiction treatment center has a strong desire to remain an influence in a patient’s social circle. The best way to do that is through a coordinated program designed to maintain ongoing contacts with alumni. Such contact can be extremely beneficial to former addiction patients. In addiction, you have the chance to reach out to others within an addiction treatment social circle who may need addiction treatment.
How to Maintain Your Place in the Addiction Treatment Social Circle
The social circle serves as a safety net for your former patients. By the simple act of keeping in touch, you provide former patients with a reassuring presence. When patients leave your program, they are vulnerable, especially in the first few months. Your continued presence in their social circle serves as a gentle presence. You can fulfill the role of a friend checking in to make sure things are going well. Typically, you might want to discuss topics such as:
- Signs that look out that signal relapse
- Techniques that may help reduce the chance of relapse
- Activities that can help their recovery
When your facility serves as a source of valuable information, your presence in a patient’s addiction treatment social circle is helpful for keeping this individual focused on a successful recovery.
The Social Circle and Email:
If you’re a college alumni, the only time you hear from your alma mater is usually when they want money. As a result, you don’t see your college as part of your social circle because they simply want something from you. Your alumni program can’t be perceived in the same way.
Email is most useful as a way to inform. It’s one-way communication. Unlike social media, a direct reply isn’t really expected. You may want people to do something after reading the email, but replying to it probably isn’t one of them. It’s especially useful if you have something to say that must be explained in some detail. Although an email is part of the addiction treatment social circle, it’s a remote part of it. Why? Mostly because it isn’t terribly social. That’s why social media is the true champion of a social circle for former patients.
The Social Circle and Social Media: A Perfect Combination
Obviously, you want to be in the patient’s circle. Social media is definitely one of the best ways to get there. In addition, you can have a genuine conversation on social media. Or others can have conversations that you can weigh in when appropriate. This open environment is one that alumni can invite friends to join who may be having trouble with addiction. For some, this will be their first exposure to addiction treatment.
Social media is an excellent way to bring others into the addiction treatment social circle. One reason being the shareability of info you post. Others on social media are essentially promoting your services anytime they share your posts. The more they share what you write, the more you and prospective patients benefit.
Be a Part of Your Patients’ Addiction Treatment Social Circle
Keeping in touch with former patients and remaining within their social circle is greatly aided by an effective alumni program. No reputable addiction treatment centers want to see their patients relapse. They want to do everything they can to help former patients remain sober. It’s important, therefore, that you remain in close contact. Should the unfortunate happen and they slip back into addiction, they need to know that your facility is always there for them.
Being in the addiction treatment social circle always means that your patients have a way to “pay it forward.” They can bring friends who may have addiction issues into the social circle through social media. In the ideal situation, these other individuals form a relationship with your facility. When that happens, they will be more inclined to contact you when they’re ready to consider treatment.
If you’re ready to step up your communication with alumni, consider partnering with a digital marketing firm that can make the process easier. Dreamscape Marketing’s knowledge and experience can help you enhance the addiction treatment social circle with former patients. Call us today at 888.307.7304 and let’s discuss how to take your alumni relationships to the next level.