Length of Stay

In a groundbreaking report released in 2016 by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy rejected decades of failing addiction treatment norms. He highlights the extensive research to verify that addiction to alcohol or drugs is a chronic disease of the brain, and not a moral failure.

He wrote: “We can never forget that the faces of substance use disorders are real people. Are we able to live up to that most fundamental obligation we have as human beings: to care for one another?”

At Providence, we know recovery is a process.

It can take several months for the brain and the nervous system to rid itself of the toxic effects of sustained substance abuse. Early recovery is especially challenging. Residents, impatient in early recovery, often experience a false sense of confidence in their ability to stay sober after treatment. Sustained recovery is achievable only when we recognize that recovery requires commitment, hard work and cannot be rushed. Indeed, recovery is a lifetime lifestyle change.

Providence residents must commit to a 3-month minimum stay.

While we consider each client on a case-by-case basis, we feel strongly that a 6-12 month stay provides residents the greatest probability for sustained recovery. Research is unflinching in acknowledging that longer stays in recovery community environments are the single greatest asset to sustained sobriety.

Should Providence residents choose to stay on the North Shore, and they are strongly encouraged to do so, they stay connected to a well-established alumni recovery community to further fortify a sober life. Our program model creates and sustains “recovery capital” – or healthy life resources, which carry over to our residents’ transitions to independent living within the North Shore community.

We appreciate that our timeline is an investment of time for your loved one and financial resources for your family. However, short-changing the time spent on recovery can mean life or death, legal involvement, and more money spent on treatment. We believe, and the research supports, that our model of community-based, community-supported recovery is the most exceptional level of care available in the recovery field.

Roughly 25 million Americans are living in long term, sustained recovery

Perhaps in the most exciting and encouraging section of his report, “Recovery: The Many Paths to Wellness,” the Surgeon General insists the idea that substance use disorders “…are most effectively addressed through a chronic care management model that includes longer term outpatient care; recovery housing; and recovery coaching and management check-ups.” Treatment providers are encouraged to shift away from a crisis-oriented, deficit-focus and directed to embrace a vision of care that embraces the hope and the reality of recovery.

Despite this research, wildly held pessimistic views about the chance for recovery effect public opinion. This is, because sustained recovery lasting a year or longer can take several years, multiple treatment episodes and extensive recovery support to achieve.