CARSS (CeDAR Alumni Recovery Support Services)

Recovery Education Program

CARSS Specialists and Alumni Volunteers provide information, support and encouragement to patients throughout their treatment experience at CeDAR.  Several activities are key to this invaluable support:

• Recovery is Discovery Classes. Through facilitated panel presentations that include Alumni Volunteers, patients are introduced to the “culture of recovery”. CARSS Specialists present alternatives for how patients might engage in a recovery lifestyle.
• Introduction to Alumni Support Group Meetings. Patients who are in their last two weeks at CeDAR are invited to participate in Alumni Support Group meetings that are held on the CeDAR campus. At these meetings, patients meet CeDAR alumni and participate in discussions about life in recovery.
• 12 Step Recovery Meetings. Every day, patients attend a 12 step meeting (on and off campus) so that they become familiar with the format, etiquette and norms of those gatherings and have a chance to experience the fellowship.
• Meetings with Support Services Staff.  Each patient meets several times with a CARSS Specialist. At the final “Recovery Orientation Meeting”, patients share details about their Recovery Plans and learn more about the scope of Alumni services and activities that will support their recovery after treatment.