How do these styles of care compare to others?
With all the jargon thrown around the addiction industry, it can be pretty difficult to understand what you’re being told. In this article, we will try to break down the nuanced differences between a sober companion and sober coach. But before we dive into this, let’s start with where these services lie on the continuum of care. Just to clarify, the continuum of care simply refers to the maximum level of support one might receive during their recovery journey. Below is a super brief explanation of how professionals in the industry think about treatment services.
The highest level of care is a detox program. For those of you who have been thrown into a “drunk tank” for several nights, you may know what I’m talking about. Detoxes are “level 4 care.” They provide 24 hours of supervision, a crappy mattress (usually) and medication management to prevent fatal detox symptoms. From here, you might go into level 3 care, better known as a residential treatment center. This provides a few weeks of 24 hour supervision, structured activities and clinical education. Moreover, this level also includes sober living programs, but this distinction will be best discussed in a separate blog post.
The next step down is level 2, which includes day treatment and intensive outpatient programming. The gist of this is you receive clinical education for 9-25 hours per week, urinary analysis and you live at home. Level 1 is a slight step down from here, which has less clinical education usually for one day per week. Many people argue that there is a level below 1, which is considered 0.5 and includes services like sober coaches.
What’s the difference between a sober coach and sober companion?
First off, a sober companion is essentially level 3 care. It provides 24/7 supervision but instead of living in a residential treatment center or sober living program, you get to live at home. Most companions will live with you anywhere from a single night up to a week or two (maybe more depending on the companion and compensation). A lot of people consider this option when they’ve recently gotten out of residential treatment and want support transitioning back into their normal daily routine. It’s also worth noting that no insurance covers sober companion work, making this option much more costly. However, if you can afford it and would like to not disrupt your daily life, this might be an appropriate move for you.
On the other hand, a sober coach/recovery coach is considered the lowest form of care and is typically well suited for someone who needs a little additional support. If you have recently relapsed or are struggling to implement desired behavior changes, this might be an appropriate resource. Sober coaches can help you create and implement good routines, stay accountable, set goals and more. Their support can usually be enlisted for anywhere from an hour to a full day. One noteworthy point to consider is recovery coaches are a non-therapeutic resource and should be used in conjunction with a therapist.
What else do I need to know?
One last thing to consider when hiring any additional support is their certification and experience. I’ve listed a few reputable training programs below but there are many more that weren’t included. Regardless, I highly encourage you to do your own research into whatever certification or licensure your coach or companion claims to have. For sober companions, you should inquire into whether they have additional training in medication management. Some reputable training programs include, but are not limited to:
- Recovery Coach Academy – CCAR Training
- Life Coach Training – PCRT
- Adventure Recovery
- International Association of Professional Recovery Coaches – CPRC
- The Addiction Academy- Certified Sober Companion & Safe Transport
Like I said above, if your desired coach or companion doesn’t have one of these trainings, it’s not the end of the world. However, you should definitely consider hiring someone who has at least some form of certification and preferably a few years of experience. Just be prepared to do a little additional research and “shop around” before settling on a coach or companion.
If you or someone you love is considering one of these services, give us a call today to see if one of our experienced team members can help you out.