Everything you need to know about Prehab
What is Prehab?
Prehab is an eight-week readiness service for those seeking treatment for drug and alcohol misuse. It can operate as a pathway into YMCA Together’s RISE Recovery Service or other drug and alcohol abstinence accommodation providers.
You can access the service by completing a self-referral form at The Brink of Change, Recovery Cafe on Parr Street every Friday at 10:30. This weekly group, also called Prehab, is in partnership with The Brink, RISE, and YMCA Together’s Prehab service. Once you’ve completed the form, our staff will guide you through the next steps.
Unlike many other Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services, including RISE, Prehab doesn’t require you to visit the service with a clean test. We also don’t ask that you attend a detox before visiting. Instead, we offer a unique community detox at our 24/7 staffed service. This benefits those without recovery capital, letting you start your recovery journey in a safe, supportive environment.
What’s recovery capital?
Recovery capital is made up of our personal capacity, including things like self esteem, problem solving skills and coping with life’s difficulties. Social capital is having friends, family and key people around us and community capital includes education, training, employment experience.
When each of these areas have lots of barriers and not many strengths it can be difficult to begin and sustain our recovery. We work to help you to build up the strengths and reduce the barriers so that you have a strong foundation for your recovery.
Why is recovery capital important?
Attending rehab can be challenging for people who’ve never accessed this type of service, as it can involve:
- Adopting a new mindset
- Learning new terms
- Being open, honest and vulnerable
- Accepting that you’re struggling and need help.
Prehab introduces you to these new concepts in a gradual, accessible way to break down barriers and help you get ready for the next stage of your recovery.
How does Prehab work?
Prehab is a readiness service that prepares you for intensive 18-week recovery treatment at RISE. It’s a non-treatment-based residential service for all genders, and is the first step on your recovery journey.
In Prehab, you live on-site for eight weeks in an ensuite room and participate in twice daily, 1-hour group workshops at 10 am and 1 pm. In these workshops, we’ll help you address subjects such as:
- Cycle of Change
- Trust and Acceptance
- Relapse Prevention
- Smart Recovery
You’ll also take part in a ‘weekly wrap-up’ every Friday to talk about what you’ve learned, the impact your learning has had, and who you appreciate.
Finally, you’ll attend a resident meeting every Saturday to share your progress, thoughts, and feedback with staff and community peers.
These workshops and sessions aim to introduce what Rehab could look like for you.
Who is Prehab for?
Prehab is for people with no experience of rehabilitation services. As rehab is not a one-size-fits-all solution, Prehab helps us identify the best approach for you before we help you determine the most appropriate recovery pathway.
If you’re unsure whether you’re ready for complete rehabilitation or want advice and support on available treatment options, Prehab is an ideal first step. We take a nonjudgmental, confidential approach for your comfort and privacy and will not force you into a rehabilitation service.
Prehab works closely with prisons to help people obtain early release by committing to treatment pathways.
In short, Prehab is a tool for discovering whether you’re ready to start your recovery journey and helping you make the transition.
Will Prehab work for me?
Although there are no guarantees, our relatively new Prehab service is successful around 90% of the time. This means that roughly 9 in 10 Prehab residents move on to our RISE Recovery service to take the next step in their recovery.
More often than not, people who complete Prehab also complete their 18-week rehabilitation programme at RISE. However, like any service, people drop out of Prehab because they need more time to be ready.
Remember, we’re always here whenever you want to take that all-important first step.
What comes after Prehab?
Once you’ve completed Prehab, we’ll refer you to our RISE Recovery Service.
This Rehabilitation and Abstinence service is an 18-week residential rehab in South Liverpool that offers ensuite, catered accommodation and an on-site gym.
Here, YMCA Together uses a psychologically informed approach to recovery. Underpinned by Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), our relational approach helps you understand yourself, how your drug or alcohol use began and how to sustain long-term recovery.
Following your treatment at RISE, we may further refer you to our partners at Step Down Service, delivered by New Start Homes.
Step Down, next door to RISE, offers additional support upon completing rehabilitation treatment. This residential service helps you integrate back into the community by supporting your return home or back to work or reducing the risk of relapse through additional workshops and sessions.
Ultimately, our aim is to help you fully recover and return to your family, friends, and colleagues feeling revitalised with as little risk of relapse as possible.
I’m still not sure that Prehab is suitable for me
We understand that accepting you need help can be challenging. However, the most difficult part is often taking the first step.
You’re welcome to join us at The Brink of Change on Parr Street every Friday at 10:30 to learn more about our services. Here, you’ll meet people facing similar struggles with Drug and Alcohol Use Disorder.
If that feels a little overwhelming, or you’re unable to attend for whatever reason, reach out to us at referrals.recovery@YMCAtogether.org.uk
We can arrange to call at your convenience or meet you at an appropriate time or place.
There’s always a way to access us, and we’re happy to adapt to make sure you can access the service, gain some knowledge, and find out if Prehab is right for you.