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September 10th, 2025
Secondary Care Programme
Continue your recovery journey with UKAT
Completing primary addiction treatment is a milestone worth celebrating. You’ve put in the work, faced your challenges, and taken the brave step toward change. But recovery isn’t something that ends when you leave rehab; it’s a lifelong process.
The transition from the structured environment of primary treatment to the unpredictability of daily life can be one of the most delicate stages in recovery. Without the right support, it can feel like stepping out onto a tightrope without a safety net. That’s where secondary care comes in. It provides a bridge between the protective structure of rehab and the independence of everyday life, giving you space to practise sober living while still benefiting from professional guidance and peer support.
What Does Secondary Care Really Mean?
Think of secondary care as the “next step” after rehab, a place where recovery starts to meet real life. You’ve already tackled the toughest part: detox, therapy, and learning the tools to stay sober. Now, secondary care is where you get to practice those tools in a safe, supportive space, without jumping straight back into full independence.
It’s not as intense as full-time rehab, but it’s more than just “time off.” You’ll get a chance to test your skills, build routines, and face everyday challenges, while still having expert support when things get tricky. It’s all about building confidence, resilience, and a sense of freedom, step by step.
Here’s what secondary care usually covers:
- Staying on track: Spotting triggers and using coping strategies before they turn into setbacks.
- Everyday life skills: From cooking and budgeting to managing your schedule, you learn habits that keep your recovery strong.
- Ongoing support: Regular therapy sessions and check-ins give you a space to process emotions, get advice, and keep moving forward.
In short, secondary care bridges the gap between alcohol or drug rehab and real life, helping you take the lessons you’ve learned and turn them into lasting, independent recovery.
Why Secondary Care Can Make All the Difference
Finishing drug or alcohol rehab is a huge achievement, but it’s not the end of the journey. Early recovery can be one of the most delicate times. Even after weeks or months without substances, old temptations, lingering emotions, and the pressures of daily life can creep back in fast.
Jumping straight from a fully supported rehab environment into total independence can feel like going from a warm swimming pool into icy water; you’re in shock, and it’s hard to adjust. Without a gradual step-down, even the most committed person can feel unsteady.
That’s where secondary care steps in. It gives you breathing space, a place where you can practise living life on your own terms but still have a safety net when you need it. It’s not about holding you back; it’s about giving you the best shot at lasting recovery.
Here’s how it helps:
- Keeps you connected to support: Continued access to professionals, therapy, and peers who understand what you’re going through.
- Turns coping skills into second nature: You get to test your strategies in everyday situations, then fine-tune them with feedback.
- Builds real-world confidence: Learn how to handle relationships, responsibilities, and challenges without slipping into old habits.
- Smooths the handover into independence: No sudden leaps—just steady progress at a pace that feels right for you.
Secondary care isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It’s a strong, protective layer between you and the setbacks that can derail recovery, giving you time, support, and confidence to make your new life stick.
How Secondary Care at Providence Projects Stands Out
Our Providence Projects centre in Bournemouth is dedicated to guiding people through the crucial stage between residential rehab and independent recovery. Our secondary care programme focuses on extended support, relapse prevention, and practical life skills, helping you move confidently from structured treatment to living your life on your own terms.
At Providence Projects, the approach is simple but powerful: combine professional guidance, structured support, and a strong community environment to turn early recovery into lasting change.
Intensive, Purposeful Therapy
Unlike typical step-down programmes, our secondary care offers a deep, immersive therapy experience. Each day is structured to address the complex issues that arise in early recovery while equipping you with practical strategies for long-term success.
Key focus areas include:
- Building Self-Confidence: Cultivating a positive sense of self to strengthen resilience against relapse.
- Healthy Relationships: Learning boundaries, improving communication, and repairing trust.
- Managing Stress and Anxiety: Practical tools to recognise triggers and respond effectively.
- Relapse Prevention: Identifying early warning signs and creating personalised action plans.
- 12-Step Programme Foundations: Engaging with the first three steps to lay a solid recovery framework.
- Same-Sex Group Therapy: Safe, supportive sessions every two weeks tailored to gender-specific issues. (Dependant on numbers)
Supplementary workshops and assignments extend learning beyond therapy hours, ensuring recovery skills translate into daily life.
A Strong, Supportive Community
Recovery is rarely a solitary journey. Providence Projects fosters a close-knit community where peer support and accountability are central. Clients move around the centre in small groups and participate in a buddy system, ensuring nobody faces challenges alone.
Regular drug and alcohol testing maintains a safe, sober environment, reinforcing accountability and protecting everyone’s progress.
Personalised Relapse Prevention
Every client works with professionals to develop a bespoke relapse prevention plan, a clear, step-by-step roadmap for maintaining sobriety. This plan covers:
- Recognising personal triggers and learning to manage them
- Creating a stable, structured daily routine
- Building a strong sober support network
- Planning for setbacks or cravings before they happen
This forward-thinking approach turns uncertainty into confidence, giving clients the tools they need to handle life’s challenges with control.
Independence with Support
One of the unique strengths of Providence Projects is the separation of accommodation and therapy spaces. Clients live in comfortable housing near the centre, giving them a taste of independence while still having access to support.
Daily life includes managing meals, budgeting, and taking responsibility for personal routines. This balance of freedom and structure helps clients develop essential life skills, fostering confidence and resilience as they transition toward complete independence.
Holistic Activities for Mind, Body, and Spirit
Recovery extends beyond therapy. Providence Projects offers activities to support physical health, emotional wellbeing, and social connection, including:
- Coastal walks and beach activities to promote fitness and calm
- Team sports, such as volleyball to encourage teamwork and camaraderie
- Weekly yoga sessions for mindfulness, flexibility, and mental clarity
By combining therapeutic work with enriching daily experiences, clients strengthen their recovery in every dimension, mental, emotional, and physical.
Providence Projects prepares clients not just to remain sober but to thrive. With a careful balance of guidance, independence, and community, secondary care lays the foundation for the next stage of recovery: sober living. Here, individuals continue to practise independence while supported by peers who share the same goal, a sustainable, fulfilling recovery.
Why choose UKAT?
Choosing secondary care with UKAT’s Providence Projects means more than just extending your treatment; it means giving your recovery the strongest possible foundation for long-term success. Our approach blends proven expertise with genuine compassion, ensuring every client feels supported, understood, and prepared for the next chapter.
Here’s what makes our programme different:
- Personalised to You: Every plan is built around your specific goals, strengths, and challenges; no one-size-fits-all recovery here.
- Community That Lifts You Up: You’ll be surrounded by people who understand your journey and share your commitment to change.
- Expert Guidance Every Step of the Way: Our experienced professionals provide ongoing support, insight, and practical tools to keep you moving forward.
- Freedom with Structure: We create an environment that is safe and supportive while giving you the space to grow, make decisions, and build independence.
- Proven Methods, Real-World Skills: Evidence-based therapies meet hands-on life skills training, so you’re prepared for whatever life throws your way.
With UKAT, you don’t just leave secondary care free from substances; you leave with the confidence, resilience, and know-how to live life on your own terms.
Protect your recovery
You’ve already made incredible progress, and now it’s time to protect it. Our Secondary Care Programme is here to strengthen the foundation you’ve built, giving you the continued support, structure, and guidance you need to turn early success into lifelong recovery.
Don’t leave this stage to chance. Speak to our admissions team today and find out how secondary care at UKAT can help you grow in confidence, stay on track, and step into your future with certainty.
