There is a lot of technical terminology in every industry, including the world of recovery. Some phrases or words are pretty self-explanatory and others require a lengthy definition provided by a certified expert. Progressive empowerment is one of those $50 phrases that appears to explain itself until you dig in and try to use it. One of the core philosophies of the Graduate Services Program (GSP) is progressive empowerment, and applying it in a healthy way is a continual learning process because people are so variable and complex.

Over the past 2 years I have grown to appreciate our natural human tendency to rest under someone else’s leadership. Every day we are faced with millions of big, little, and medium sized decisions. Add to that the continual deluge of data from social and traditional media and it is no wonder that people are exhausted from processing and dealing with running their lives. Sometimes after a long week at the office, I am pretty much done with making decisions and I am more than happy to follow my wife’s leadership regarding what we are having for dinner or what we are watching on the TV. These are incredibly small decisions when compared with the issues and opportunities that the people in our residential programs face every day. Sometimes letting go and letting someone else drive is the only way we can deal with the pressure of our lives.

How It Begins

Providing consistent structure and accountability to the residents in recovery helps them stabilize their world and begin the transformation and restoration processes. Structure and accountability includes (but is not limited to) a set schedule, a list of events or classes that need to be attended, mandatory group and 1-on-1 counseling sessions, and specific tasks that need to be accomplished. All of these requirements help the residents begin to live within healthy patterns. One of the unintended consequences of all of this structure and accountability is that the individual can begin to rely too heavily on decisions being made for them. It is not an intentional by-product of the process, but rather, something that happens over time as the residents begin to live their lives within the recovery environment.The issue begins the moment the resident leaves the recovery environment and has to walk into a new reality where they have to (get to) make all of their own scheduling and responsibility decisions for themselves. After a year or more in the recovery environment, the decision making “muscle” starts to atrophy due to lack of use, and that may cause the person to experience sudden stress or anxiety that triggers old patterns or feelings. Some residents have a strong support system outside of the program that helps them re-acclimate to making decisions and planning their next steps. Some do not, and the sudden shock of the new freedom can put the person into a ditch (literally). The Graduate Services Program was created and launched 2 years ago to provide a transitional environment that helps the graduates take over running their lives in little baby steps over 6 months. Progressive empowerment is one of the many techniques employed to help make that transition as smooth as possible.

How It Works

At the heart of progressive empowerment there are 2 key focuses at work. The first is a desire on the part of the caregivers to ultimately see a graduate restored completely and able to navigate life in a healthy and God honoring way. The second key focus is an understanding that life must be lived in community, and that God never designed us to be Lone Rangers. Both of these focuses must be balanced carefully and adjusted for the uniqueness of each individual and their stories. That is why it is important that the control of running all aspects of their lives is given back in a progressive manner that allows them to walk before they run.One example of how the GSP uses progressive empowerment would be the sober living fee that the students begin paying the 3rd month. The fee begins at a small amount and progressively grows until it is nearly as much as the typical fee charged by the sober homes in the area. The rationale behind this approach is threefold.

• First, we are getting the students used to making a regular monthly payment so that it develops a discipline and mindset of consistency and responsibility.
• Second, it helps the students begin to understand how much money they are going to need to fund a healthy and stress-free lifestyle.
• The third reason is to ease the student into taking responsibility for this major monthly expense a little at a time.Transitioning from $0 to a $500 rent payment in one step would stress anyone out. The GSP stretches that one step into 4 steps, which helps reduce the stress by giving the students time and space to plan and adjust.

The sober living fee is just one example of how progressive empowerment is used by the GSP to help the student’s transition well. Other examples include releasing control of their daily schedules, letting them plan their events and family visits, and empowering them to create their own job search strategy. Managing these responsibilities is critical to leading a successful life, and one of the goals of the GSP is to help our students slowly retake control of their responsibilities during the 6 months of the program. We are constantly exploring ways to empower the students and prepare them for life outside of the Mission. Progressive empowerment is a powerful technique for guiding students who are leaving the safe, structured, and accountable environment of the Mission and re-entering into the potentially hostile world in small, baby steps.Please pray that the transition from the sheltered, safe environment of the recovery program back into the community continues to get easier and smoother for the graduates as the GSP finds and implements new techniques and processes.