Mood
Keeping routine, energy, and momentum in place once the heaviest weight has lifted.
Levels of care
Continuing Care
in Houston
The step that keeps recovery going. At The Lovett Center, continuing care is our aftercare: ongoing support after you complete IOP, PHP, or another program, so the gains you worked for hold. It is built around an aftercare process group, continued individual therapy, and a clear relapse-prevention plan you can keep using in daily life.
Aftercare process group · Ongoing individual therapy · Relapse-prevention planning · Step-down from IOP or PHP · Adults 18+ · Montrose, Houston
Who it's for
Support that continues
after the program ends.
Continuing care fits the person who has done the deeper work and wants to protect it.
Continuing care, sometimes called aftercare, is the level of support that follows a more intensive program. You keep living at home and meeting your responsibilities while staying connected to the group, the therapist, and the plan that carry your recovery forward. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration describes this kind of ongoing, community-based support as a normal part of the recovery process, not an optional add-on.
It matters because recovery is rarely quick. Guidance from the National Institute on Drug Abuse describes substance use disorders as chronic conditions, where staying engaged over time is one of the strongest protections against relapse. Continuing care is built for exactly that: a sustainable way to stay supported for the long horizon.
- You have completed IOP, PHP, or another program and want to hold your progress
- You are ready to step down to lighter support, but not to step away from it
- You want a standing group and a therapist who already know your story
- You are protecting recovery from substance use, and relapse prevention matters to you
- You have a stable home and want care that fits around work, school, and family
Right-sizing your care
When a different level of
care fits better
Continuing care is the right fit once the deeper work is done. If you are not there yet, an honest look at the level you need comes first.
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When you have not completed a program yet (IOP)
Continuing care is a step down, not a starting point. If you are early in treatment or your symptoms need more structure, our Intensive Outpatient Program adds more hours across several days a week, still on an outpatient basis.
Explore IOP -
When you need treatment most of the day (PHP)
If recovery feels fragile and you need near-daily support, our Partial Hospitalization Program offers the most hours in the same outpatient setting. It is a step up in intensity, not a hospital admission.
Explore PHP -
When steady weekly therapy is the right level (Outpatient)
If you want ongoing individual or group therapy without the group aftercare structure, our Outpatient Program offers flexible weekly care you can sustain over the long term.
Explore outpatient -
When more is needed first
Continuing care is not for an active crisis, medical detox, or anyone needing 24-hour supervision. Lovett does not provide on-site detox or residential care; when that level is needed first, we help you arrange it, then welcome you back for continuing care. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.
What it includes
The pieces that keep
recovery steady.
No fixed script and no rigid timetable. Continuing care is a set of ongoing supports, matched to what you need and adjusted as you go.
At the center of continuing care is our aftercare process group, a small, compassionate group facilitated by Lovett clinician Marina Rathjens, LCSW, C-DBT. Alongside it, continued individual therapy keeps the deeper work going with someone who already knows your history.
Relapse-prevention planning is woven through all of it: identifying your triggers and early warning signs, building coping skills and healthy relationships, and keeping a plan you can use when recovery is tested. Your care stays coordinated through case conferencing, and a custom aftercare plan grows with you as your needs change.
- An aftercare process group, small by design, facilitated by a Lovett clinician
- Continued individual therapy with a clinician who knows your history
- A relapse-prevention plan: identifying triggers, warning signs, and coping skills
- Case conferencing, so your care stays coordinated across your team
- A connection to alumni and continuing therapy as your needs evolve
What it protects
What continuing care
helps you protect
Continuing care supports lasting recovery across mental health and substance use, reinforcing the gains you have already made.
Recovery
Protecting sobriety with relapse-prevention planning and coordinated care for co-occurring conditions.
Anxiety
Reinforcing the skills that keep worry and avoidance from taking hold again.
How the work happens
Therapies used in
continuing care
Continuing care draws on the same evidence-based and relational therapies that carried you this far, now focused on sustaining the work.
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Group Therapy
The heart of the aftercare process group: shared work with peers who understand the road, in a guided, confidential setting.
About group therapy -
Psychodynamic Therapy
Depth-oriented individual work that keeps addressing the patterns underneath, not just the symptoms.
About psychodynamic therapy -
Family Therapy
Strengthening the support network at home, because lasting recovery rarely happens alone.
About family therapy -
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Durable skills for managing intense emotions, distress, and the moments that test recovery.
About DBT
Insurance
Your plan may cover
more than you think.
Most major plans cover outpatient mental health and substance use care. We will check your benefits and explain what they mean in plain language, at no cost and with no obligation.
Plans we accept
Coverage varies by plan and individual benefits. Verifying takes a few minutes and tells you exactly where you stand.
Getting started
Stepping into
continuing care
No long intake maze. A few conversations, and your continuing-care plan is set.
- 01
Finish or connect
Step 1
Many people move into continuing care after completing our IOP or PHP. If you finished a program elsewhere, reach out and we will pick up where it left off.
- 02
Build your plan
Step 2
A clinician helps you set the pieces: the aftercare process group, your individual therapy, and a relapse-prevention plan built around your triggers and goals.
- 03
Stay connected
Step 3
You keep the group, the therapy, and the plan going, and we adjust as your recovery grows steadier. Case conferencing keeps your whole care team coordinated.
Who leads your care
The clinicians who
keep you connected
Continuing care is led by experienced Lovett clinicians, including the facilitator of our aftercare process group.
Common questions
Continuing care,
answered.
Continuing care is the ongoing support that follows a more intensive program, and at The Lovett Center we also call it aftercare. It keeps you connected to a group, a therapist, and a relapse-prevention plan while you live at home and return to work, school, and family. The goal is to protect the progress you made in IOP, PHP, or another program.
Yes. At Lovett, continuing care is our aftercare: the two names describe the same level of support. Continuing care is the broader term, and aftercare is the Lovett program built around an ongoing process group, individual therapy, and relapse-prevention planning.
Continuing care fits people who have completed a more intensive program and want to keep their momentum. It suits those stepping down from IOP or PHP, anyone protecting recovery from substance use where relapse prevention matters, and people with a stable home who want lighter but consistent support. A comprehensive assessment is the surest way to confirm the right level.
How to choose your level of careThe aftercare process group is a small, compassionate group facilitated by a Lovett clinician. Members work on the real challenges of staying well: identifying triggers and relapse warning signs, building coping skills and healthy relationships, and supporting one another through the ups and downs of recovery. It is a standing group, so the people in the room come to know your story.
Relapse prevention is central to continuing care. Your plan focuses on recognizing your triggers and early warning signs, practicing coping skills, and keeping a clear plan you can use when recovery is tested. Guidance from the National Institute on Drug Abuse describes substance use disorders as chronic conditions, where staying engaged in care over time is one of the strongest protections against relapse.
There is no fixed end date. Continuing care is a longer-horizon level of support, because staying connected for an adequate length of time is one of the strongest predictors of lasting recovery. Your clinician adjusts the plan as you progress, and you and your care team decide together how long to stay engaged.
Yes. Many people move into continuing care after finishing our IOP or PHP, but you do not have to have been a Lovett client to start. If you completed a program elsewhere and want to protect your recovery, reach out and a clinician will help you build a continuing-care plan that fits where you are.
Most major plans cover outpatient mental health and substance use care, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, Magellan, and TriWest. Coverage and out-of-pocket costs vary by plan, so we verify your benefits for free and explain exactly what they mean before you start.
Verify your insuranceStart the conversation
The next step is
a conversation.
If continuing care in Houston sounds like the right fit, or you are stepping down from a program and want to talk it through, our admissions team is here.
- Free, confidential benefits check
- No obligation, no pressure
- Speak with a real person who knows the program
Prefer to call?
(713) 589-5991In a crisis or an emergency? Call or text 988, or call 911. This form is not monitored around the clock.