provides a broad range of daily and weekly activities, which have been carefully chosen to optimize outcomes and help prevent relapses. Central to the activities is a strong focus on SMART Recovery, REBT, and Cognitive Therapy processes, as well as the other processes. The following activities comprise an essential aspect of each Participant’s program:

• Meditation and Exercise (daily): Successful recovery requires a healthy focus upon both the body and the spirit.

• Community Meetings: Participants function as a family, and are able to relearn healthy and prosocial family interaction patterns from each other.

• Education Groups: Invited speakers discuss issues of relevance to recovery and relapse prevention.

• Doctor Lectures: Medical experts knowledgeable in substance abuse and addictions discuss issues of importance to Participants’ recovery.

• Alumni Lectures: Former Participants discuss their successes, as well as the obstacles they faced, in their own recovery. This is a sharing experience which helps Participants to prepare for success after graduation from the program.

• Group Therapy (daily): Techniques are based on SMART Recovery, REBT, and other cognitive techniques and principles. The group setting allows Participants to share and learn from one another, which has been found to be very effective in the recovery process.

• Individual Therapy (daily): Utilizing REBT and Cognitive Therapy techniques, Participants examine their own maladaptive thought processes, and replace these with healthy patterns which are supportive of a life free of alcohol and/or drug abuse.

• Recreation (daily): This is considered to be essential for a healthy physical rebuilding of the body, as well as rebuilding adaptive social interaction patterns with other individuals.

• Step/Big Book Study: All Participants learn the philosophy, elements, and specifics of the optional 12 step process. This allows individuals to be able to effectively participate in a broad variety of support meetings after their completion of the program. Individuals gain the ability to choose whatever type of peer support works best for them, based upon individual differences and needs. This is a strong element in helping prevent relapse, and also helps to insure that individuals will be able to fully utilize whatever type of peer support is available in their own region.

• Continuing Care Planning and Relapse Prevention (twice each week): Participants take part in groups which specifically focus upon how to obtain support and prevent relapses, after leaving the program. These group activities result in a clearly specified plan of action to help all Participants remain substance-free over the course of their lives.

• Gender/Cultural Issues: Many issues relating to substance abuse and addiction have elements which are unique or different, depending upon the gender or culture of the individual. A weekly group focuses upon these issues to help Participants understand such uniquenesses, and to help in their own recovery and in understanding the recovery process of others.

• Therapist’s Lecture/Nurse’s Lecture: Participants receive twice weekly lectures from therapists and nurses, to help Participants obtain a comprehensive understanding of the abuse/addiction process, and learn to deal with future problems related to their own recovery and abstinence.

• Spirituality Service: is firmly committed to the importance of healthy spirituality for a drug-free, productive life. Each Sunday, a Spirituality Service is conducted in the Chapel, and made available to all Participants. This service is non-denominational, and is conducted by various spiritual leaders from the community. Participants are encouraged to partake in this spiritually-renewing experience.

• Individual Topics: Each evening, a focus meeting is held on specific issues faced by Participants, plans and farewells by graduating Participants, other relevant topics. As Participants prepare to leave, they make a comprehensive plan to help in their own continued success. The sharing of these plans is important not only to the person who is leaving, but also to all Participants who must at some time make such plans for themselves. These meetings allow the family of Participants to interact, and help one another.

• Internal and External SMART, AA/NA, and Caduceus Club meetings: Each evening, all Participants take part in one of the above meetings. Becoming familiar with these support systems is crucial, so that, upon leaving the program, Participants will continue to use such support systems in their own communities. Some of these meetings are in the community, and some are on the campus of the facility. For meetings held on campus, non-Participants from the community are invited to participate.

• Scheduled Informal Social Time: Each evening, after the above meetings, and before bedtime, Participants have free time for social interaction. For some Participants, this is a good time to “process” some of the events that may have occurred at the above meetings, or anything else that may have happened during the day. For others, it is simply a time to relax, “chill” a bit, wind down, and engage in informal and friendly social interactions. It is a period in which the “family” ties are often developed and strengthened.

• Approved Visitations and Cookout: On Saturday afternoon, a cookout is held. This is planned and carried out by the family of Participants. It is a time for healthy and friendly social interaction. At this cookout, Participants have the option of inviting family members or significant others to come to the facility and to enjoy the cookout with them. This helps to maintain and strengthen healthy relationships beyond the campus, which is extremely important for Participants when they leave the program.