The Basics
New York Therapeutic Communities’ Stay’N’Out program was originally established in 1977 in an upstate prison. Since then, the Stay’N’Out model has become an essential training tool for facilities throughout the country, offering men and woman job training and education as they obtain life skills and substance abuse treatment while still in prison.
Treatment and Staff
This program takes place while the client is incarcerated, offering an them alternative path through skills training and substance abuse treatment, as well as participation in what is referred to as a “therapeutic community.” The program expects clients to adhere to the strict rules and structured schedule of treatment, and in turn, are allowed to reside in a different part of the facility than the general population.
The program is three step-down phases and as the client works through his or her program, they are asked to address underlying issues that may have led to their situation. Ideally, clients moves through the phases until he or she is released, at which point, they enter into the next stage—a residential program known as Serendipity.
The program relies on the individual to assess and address their past as well as encourage others in a positive, supportive setting. There are daily groups, weekly individual therapy and psychoeducational sessions, and the integration of 12-step recovery principles. The clients learn about relapse prevention, anger management, and healthy ways to reconnect with their family members. Clients also take on special jobs through the program and upon completion, often decide to become assistants to the counselors, acquiring leadership and peer mentor roles for others.
The staff members who lead the in-prison programs are former addicts themselves who have gone on to become LADCs.
Extras
There is an extensive aftercare and alumni program that is associated with Stay’N’Out. This includes helping the clients return to their communities as smoothly as possible by offering vocational training and health services.
In Summary
The concept of a therapeutic community within the prison system offers life-altering chances for inmates to turn their situations around and begin fresh. Stay’N’Out not only offers a different path but it also provides continued support and services for an extended period of time after release.
Stay’N’Out
266 W 37th St, Fl 21
New York, NY 10018
Stay’N’Out Cost: State funded. Reach Stay’N’Out by phone at (212) 971-6033.
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Sponsored DISCLAIMER: This is a paid advertisement for California Behavioral Health, LLC, a CA licensed substance abuse treatment provider and not a service provided by The Fix. Calls to this number are answered by CBH, free and without obligation to the consumer. No one who answers the call receives a fee based upon the consumer’s choice to enter treatment. For additional info on other treatment providers and options visit www.samhsa.gov.
