What It Means to be a Simon House Alumni

For those of you who have followed our newsletter recently, you will have noticed that there is often an update from our Simon House Alumni Association. A client who has graduated the Simon House program becomes an alumnus the day they complete their 84-day treatment. This alumni status is lifelong and cannot be revoked, regardless of the path a client takes when leaving treatment. It is a means of keeping the client connected to Simon House, which many consider to be there home even after they have moved back with family or found new accommodations of their own.

Alumni can return to Simon House to visit, participate in evening house meetings, and attend the regular alumni meetings, which are held every Sunday at the center. These formal meetings are where clients past and present gather to discuss recovery as well as elect table officers to the alumni association and plan events for the guys.

One of the hardest things to do in early recovery is to find social connections with others. It is hard to reintegrate into ‘normal’ life when one is so used to drugs and alcohol being at the center of all their activities. Our alumni plan lots of engagements both off property (paintball, sports, hiking) as well as at the center (pizza and movie nights). This gives the current clients a chance to experience some camaraderie and fun without substances, possibly for the first time in many years. It also gives our alumni a chance to stay connected and be of service, which we believe is a cornerstone to recovery.

It is important to note that treatment and recovery are not synonymous; graduation from a program does not ensure lasting recovery. But at Simon House, things like the alumni association help bridge that gap between recovery in treatment and recovery in the ‘real’ world. I believe our clients are very fortunate to have such a long-lasting institution as the Simon House Alumni, and I look forward to seeing them grow and help many more men in the years to come.

Kevin S.

— Manager of Clinical Services