| Example of a Sendoff for a Treatment Program Graduate |
| As a client leaves treatment, he or she is invited to take a marble from a bowl of marbles. The group leader then tells the graduate: “Now that you have begun this new stage in your recovery, keep this marble with you always—perhaps in your pocket or purse. Keep it where you will see it often to remind you of how hard your addiction was on you and your family. More important, it will remind you of how firm and resolved you must be in your commitment to stay clean and work on a healthy recovery program. |
| “Each time you reach into your pocket or purse and touch that marble, you will be reminded of the hard times that are behind you and those that may lie ahead. If, after all this, you decide that you do not care about the hard times and suffering that your addiction has caused and may cause again, and you decide that you want to sink back down into the mess of your addiction, then take the marble and toss it as far as you can, because you will have already lost the rest of your marbles!” |
From: Chapter 7. Clinical Issues, Challenges, and Strategies in Intensive Outpatient Treatment
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