MORE® (My Ongoing Recovery Experience), Hazelden's cutting-edge, 18-month Web- and phone-based continuing care program, is now available to all patients who complete adult primary residential treatment at Hazelden. In September, the Tiebout and Silkworth units in Center City, Minn., will become the final units to implement the program, completing a MORE phase-in that began two years ago.

"This means that all adult patients who come to our centers in Center City and Newberg, Ore., will receive a first-of-its-kind disease management tool in the addiction recovery field," said Janelle Wesloh, director of Recovery Management at Hazelden. "Essentially, MORE extends the treatment experience by 18 months--something unprecedented in the field. By providing unparalleled support during early recovery, we aim to improve treatment outcomes; eliminate or shorten episodes of relapse; and improve the quality of life of those we serve."

MORE is not a replacement for, but rather an adjunct to, the core continuing care objectives traditionally recommended by Hazelden: attend Twelve Step meetings, get a sponsor, attend weekly continuing care groups, receive individual therapy for co-occurring disorders, and more.

MORE participants benefit from a personal recovery coach who engages each patient, helps them develop a comprehensive relapse prevention plan before leaving treatment, and supports their recovery via phone and personal messaging. The recovery coaches are licensed alcohol and drug counselors. The Web component offers ongoing support via essential relapse-prevention content and interactive tools in seven in-depth online modules.

"MORE is enhancing the recovery of its participants," said Mark Sheets, executive director of Regional and Recovery Management Services. One MORE participant wrote: "I know that without the MORE program and recovery coach, I wouldn't be here today." Said another: "The MORE program has been a valuable tool to guide me through every aspect of my recovery."

Twenty-two full-time staff members trained in recovery management and coaching are dedicated to MORE. For more on MORE, please call 866-355-MORE or visit hazelden.org/more.

Published Summer 2008, The Voice