Step Down: From Full-Time Support to Finding Independence
Moving from rehabilitation to living independently is rarely straightforward.
For people who have spent months in a structured setting with routines, staff support, and a sense of community, returning to everyday life can be one of the most fragile points in recovery.
The Step Down service, in partnership with YMCA Together and New Start, bridges the gap between full-time rehab and life after our services. Here, we give people time and space to practise their independence in a safe, supported environment.
How Step Down Works
People come to Step Down after finishing a rehab program, often through RISE Recovery or Transforming Choice. By this point, they’ve spent time away from substances, taken part in therapy and group sessions, and learned about their behaviour patterns.
Step Down offers an 18-week residential programme that helps people build on these foundations.
While support is available 24/7, Step Down is less intensive than rehabilitation. There’s more free time for residents to manage. This intentional shift creates space for people to make their own decisions and build healthy routines. Residents live in one of our four shared flats, shop for themselves, cook, manage their money, and plan their days. These might seem like small steps, but for people who have experienced addiction, these skills can be new. Step Down offers a place to grow.
Groups still run during the week, including interpersonal sessions, workshops, and recovery groups, but they take up less of the day.
For many, the biggest adjustment is how quiet Step Down is compared to rehab. In RISE, around 30 people may be in the building at any one time. In Step Down, most residents are out during the day – at meetings, on courses, or visiting family. For someone new to the setting, this change can be daunting, especially while they’re learning how to structure their time.
Step Down staff notice small changes before they become bigger problems. If someone starts missing meetings or spending more time alone, we adjust our support and help them stay on track with one-to-one chats or practical advice.
Think of our staff as stabilisers on a bike. The person in recovery is pedalling, we’re there to keep things steady if they wobble.
Finding somewhere to live
A major part of preparing for independence is finding suitable housing. Many people arriving at Step Down gave up their previous accommodation to enter rehab, and social housing is difficult to access. Even those given high priority can face waiting times of two years or more. Because of this, most residents do not move straight into their own home when they leave.
Step Down works with supported housing providers and abstinence-based shared homes across Liverpool, such as The Harmony Project, New Start, and Hill Street, helping people find a safe place to live while they continue their recovery. Planning for this starts early, so that people are not facing sudden uncertainty when their time at Step Down comes to an end.
Standing on your own two feet
When people move on from Step Down to lower-level support or independent housing, YMCA Together and New Start keep the door open. People can access structured aftercare, including regular check-ins and relapse-prevention support, as well as the option to return for groups during the early weeks after moving on.
As people rebuild their lives, they naturally need less contact with us. When someone is too busy living to check in, we see that as a real success. Not everyone’s time in Step Down is smooth. Some people relapse after moving on and return to get stable again. We don’t see coming back as failure, but as a normal part of recovery.
Step Down exists because recovery is an ongoing process. It gives people a place to practise independence with enough space and support to stand on their own two feet.
Need support?
Call our rehab service on 0151 474 0685 and find information about your local service here.
If you’re a friend or family member impacted by a loved one’s drug or alcohol issues, you can find help and support here.
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Here for you, wherever you’re at.