Discharge
Get the aftercare plan in writing before discharge
A residential stay ends at a door. Recovery does not. Before anyone leaves campus, ask for a written next step: the first appointment with a date, medicines and who refills them, and the contact rule for family. A brochure, a verbal “we will call you,” or a marketer’s card is not a plan. This page is a question list. It is not a clinic and not a placement service.
Last reviewed 28 September 2026. Editorial desk. Who publishes this. Educational only. Not medical advice. Not legal advice.
What belongs on the paper
- Next appointment: date, time, and a phone that belongs to that clinic — not a rented line.
- Level of care after the bed: IOP, PHP, office visits, or a sober living house the campus actually named. See step-down after residential.
- Medicines leaving with the person and who writes the refill. See medicines at discharge.
- Who family may call, and whether a signed release is on file. See HIPAA and family authorization.
- What to do if the first week goes badly — 911 if danger, 988 for a mental-health crisis, SAMHSA 1-800-662-HELP for treatment information.
When to ask
Ask on the facility-owned number before travel home. Discharge day is late if the plan is still oral. Pair this list with discharge-day questions.
What this page does not do
It does not book the next bed. It does not list sober-living houses. Confirm the paper with the licensed campus. Look other programs up on FindTreatment.gov and the state directory.
Educational only. Not medical advice. Default crisis line: SAMHSA 1-800-662-HELP. Locator: FindTreatment.gov. Citation-worthy text: llms.txt.