Project Title
Exploring the Impact of Social Support on Substance Abuse Recovery
Faculty Mentor(s) Name(s)
Lee Gillis
Abstract
Life post-treatment is seldom simple for those recovering from substance use. After completing treatment at an inpatient facility, individuals may return to environments or communities that trigger their substance use. Individuals struggle to find employment post-treatment due to harmful stigmas that create prejudice against substance users (Nieweglowski, et. al., 2017). Recovery can be isolating, specifically, post-COVID where in-person community has not been readily available in recent years. Research has shown that a supportive social network supplies behavior modeling for recovery, and promotes more successful post-treatment outcomes (Kaskustas et al., 2002). Programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and sober living facilities provide such support. However, these programs typically have a one track abstinenceonly approach that does not work for every person seeking recovery (Paquette et al., 2021). Enviros Shunda Creek, located in Alberta Canada, is a ten-bed 90 day inpatient treatment facility for young adult males with substance use disorder (SUD) ages 18-24. Shunda utilizes adventure therapy with mindfulness practices, and a group centered focus for SUD recovery. These practices are further encouraged after treatment through Shunda Creek’s Alumni Program. Established in 2016, Shunda Creek’s alumni program offers follow up sessions, aftercare support services, and connects residents with one another to continue to foster a sense of community post-treatment (Russell et al., 2022). Through a Facebook page, group chats, face to face gatherings, outdoor excursions, and more, residents are able to provide one another with a positive social network. Shunda Creek also provides the opportunity for clients after treatment who are secure in their recovery to mentor other clients (Russell et al., 2022). This alumni community is bound by their unique experiences at Shunda Creek, and the philosophies and practices that they were taught to use in their recovery journey. Journal entries from a deidentified alumni tracking database demonstrate that participation varies in the program. Multiple journal entries state that alumni look forward to gatherings, and that the program is a light against the difficult, and sometimes dark recovery journey. Post-treatment well-being is surveyed using the Follow-up Alumni Inventory (FAI), a survey developed by Shunda Creek staff given to clients six months post-treatment which measures outcomes related to clients’ posttreatment state of being. The FAI is comprised of 22 questions on a 10 point scale with 10 being the highest level of agreement. The Outcome Questionnaire analyzes three key factors: symptom distress, interpersonal relations, and social role scores which are comprised using the OQ-45.2 model that helps to assess a client's overall well-being post-treatment (Lambert et al., 1996). OQ 45.2 and FAI scores work in conjunction with our alumni data to examine if there is a relationship between the number of times an alumnus has sought alumni program communication/interaction and their quantitative outcomes as an operational definition of success. This poster reports the most frequent types and topics of alumni interactions, quantitative predictors of post-treatment recovery status and the program’s prevalence during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to highlight the importance of social support in substance use recovery. References Lambert, M.J., Burlingame, G.M., Umphress, V., Hansen, N.B., Vermeersch, D.A., Clouse, G.C. and Yanchar, S.C. (1996). The reliability and validity of the outcome questionnaire. Clin. Psychol. Psychother., 3: 249-258. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099- 0879(199612)3:43.0.CO;2-S Kaskutas, L. A., Bond, J., & Humphreys, K. (2002). Social networks as mediators of the effect of Alcoholics Anonymous. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 97(7), 891–900. https://doi.org/ 10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.00118.x Keith C. Russell & Harold. L. (Lee) Gillis (2022). Exploring Aftercare Experiences and WellBeing after Completion of a Young Adult Addiction Treatment Program. Residential Treatment for Children & Youth, https://doi.org/10.1080/0886571X.2022.2097977 Nieweglowski, K., Corrigan, P. W., Tyas, T., Tooley, A., Dubke, R., Lara, J., Washington, L., Sayer, J., & Sheehan, L. (2017). Exploring the public stigma of substance use disorder through community-based participatory research. Addiction Research & Theory, 26(4), 323–329. https://doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2017.1409890 Paquette, C. E., Daughters, S. B., & Witkiewitz, K. (2022). Expanding the continuum of substance use disorder treatment: Nonabstinence approaches. Clinical Psychology Review, 91, 102110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102110r
Exploring the Impact of Social Support on Substance Abuse Recovery
Life post-treatment is seldom simple for those recovering from substance use. After completing treatment at an inpatient facility, individuals may return to environments or communities that trigger their substance use. Individuals struggle to find employment post-treatment due to harmful stigmas that create prejudice against substance users (Nieweglowski, et. al., 2017). Recovery can be isolating, specifically, post-COVID where in-person community has not been readily available in recent years. Research has shown that a supportive social network supplies behavior modeling for recovery, and promotes more successful post-treatment outcomes (Kaskustas et al., 2002). Programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and sober living facilities provide such support. However, these programs typically have a one track abstinenceonly approach that does not work for every person seeking recovery (Paquette et al., 2021). Enviros Shunda Creek, located in Alberta Canada, is a ten-bed 90 day inpatient treatment facility for young adult males with substance use disorder (SUD) ages 18-24. Shunda utilizes adventure therapy with mindfulness practices, and a group centered focus for SUD recovery. These practices are further encouraged after treatment through Shunda Creek’s Alumni Program. Established in 2016, Shunda Creek’s alumni program offers follow up sessions, aftercare support services, and connects residents with one another to continue to foster a sense of community post-treatment (Russell et al., 2022). Through a Facebook page, group chats, face to face gatherings, outdoor excursions, and more, residents are able to provide one another with a positive social network. Shunda Creek also provides the opportunity for clients after treatment who are secure in their recovery to mentor other clients (Russell et al., 2022). This alumni community is bound by their unique experiences at Shunda Creek, and the philosophies and practices that they were taught to use in their recovery journey. Journal entries from a deidentified alumni tracking database demonstrate that participation varies in the program. Multiple journal entries state that alumni look forward to gatherings, and that the program is a light against the difficult, and sometimes dark recovery journey. Post-treatment well-being is surveyed using the Follow-up Alumni Inventory (FAI), a survey developed by Shunda Creek staff given to clients six months post-treatment which measures outcomes related to clients’ posttreatment state of being. The FAI is comprised of 22 questions on a 10 point scale with 10 being the highest level of agreement. The Outcome Questionnaire analyzes three key factors: symptom distress, interpersonal relations, and social role scores which are comprised using the OQ-45.2 model that helps to assess a client's overall well-being post-treatment (Lambert et al., 1996). OQ 45.2 and FAI scores work in conjunction with our alumni data to examine if there is a relationship between the number of times an alumnus has sought alumni program communication/interaction and their quantitative outcomes as an operational definition of success. This poster reports the most frequent types and topics of alumni interactions, quantitative predictors of post-treatment recovery status and the program’s prevalence during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to highlight the importance of social support in substance use recovery. References Lambert, M.J., Burlingame, G.M., Umphress, V., Hansen, N.B., Vermeersch, D.A., Clouse, G.C. and Yanchar, S.C. (1996). The reliability and validity of the outcome questionnaire. Clin. Psychol. Psychother., 3: 249-258. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099- 0879(199612)3:43.0.CO;2-S Kaskutas, L. A., Bond, J., & Humphreys, K. (2002). Social networks as mediators of the effect of Alcoholics Anonymous. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 97(7), 891–900. https://doi.org/ 10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.00118.x Keith C. Russell & Harold. L. (Lee) Gillis (2022). Exploring Aftercare Experiences and WellBeing after Completion of a Young Adult Addiction Treatment Program. Residential Treatment for Children & Youth, https://doi.org/10.1080/0886571X.2022.2097977 Nieweglowski, K., Corrigan, P. W., Tyas, T., Tooley, A., Dubke, R., Lara, J., Washington, L., Sayer, J., & Sheehan, L. (2017). Exploring the public stigma of substance use disorder through community-based participatory research. Addiction Research & Theory, 26(4), 323–329. https://doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2017.1409890 Paquette, C. E., Daughters, S. B., & Witkiewitz, K. (2022). Expanding the continuum of substance use disorder treatment: Nonabstinence approaches. Clinical Psychology Review, 91, 102110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102110r