Supportive Services
Daytop provides groups, individual counseling, educational seminars and activities geared to address specific issues. These supportive services are not part of every client’s individual treatment plan, but are included on the basis of each client’s needs.
Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12−Step group meetings are held on site or attended locally to familiarize clients with other ongoing support systems. Particular programs address clients’ transition to independent living.
- Relapse prevention
- Parenting education groups
- Smoking cessation
- Family dynamics
- Anger management
- DWI groups
- Goal setting
- Addressing age and gender−specific issues
- Parenting skills training
- Couples counseling
- Trauma counseling
- Stress management
- Domestic violence
- Eating disorder education
Art Feelings Workshops
Art Feelings Workshops offer clients another avenue for experiencing and expressing emotions. Art therapy can be a very powerful process, which may enable long buried feelings to come to the surface. Through paint and clay clients have a non−threatening medium to convey feelings which are hard to articulate, and the art object provides a focus for discussion. Counselors use the creative process and the issues that come up during art workshops to help their clients express their feelings, increase insight, work through traumatic experiences, and learn to enjoy the creative experience.
Music Enrichment Program
Daytop’s Music Enrichment Program complements the core rehabilitative program. Exposure to and involvement with music offers new experiences of creative expression, and promotes clients’ appreciation for cultural development and sensitivity.
- Promote wellness
- Manage stress
- Express feelings
- Improve communication
- Improve self esteem—self image
- Develop socialization skills
- Improve self control and ability to follow directions
- Improve ability to accept constructive criticism
- Develop leisure time skills and activity planning
Recreation and Exercise
Recreation and exercise are an essential part of a balanced, healthy lifestyle. Research shows that recreation contributes to life satisfaction, quality of life, health and wellness. Daytop’s Recreation Department assures that the resident’s physical needs are met as a part of the overall comprehensive treatment plan. The therapeutic process is intensive, and recreation breaks the stress and refreshes both body and mind.
All residential centers have facilities for recreation and exercise on−site. Intra−mural baseball and basketball teams, and Agency−wide athletic games bring clients together in a shared effort.
Although the Therapeutic Community is not a religious−based program, the recovery process often spurs a spiritual awakening. The TC requires that clients be honest with themselves and others, be willing to accept help, and in turn help others. As clients begin to understand and forgive themselves, they reconcile with family and friends, and often reconnect with God or their higher power.
Each residential facility has a voluntary time for morning and evening prayer, and journal writing is encouraged. Spirituality seminars and groups are held on a regular basis, and libraries of spiritual literature are being developed for each facility.
Daytop is affiliated with a variety of houses of worship in order to allow clients the opportunity to attend religious services, receive the sacraments, or attend Bible, Torah or Koran study groups. All religious holidays are recognized and celebrated.
Spiritual retreats are held each year, some for specific populations: for HIV positive clients, for Hepatitis−C positive clients, as well as general, non-denominational retreats.
Staff members are trained to recognize and encourage the spiritual aspects of treatment and recovery.