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The Plahn Method™ is our family systems model that has proven highly effective in providing a solution for families battling addiction, mental health issues, and other behavioral health conditions. This proprietary approach is designed to help an afflicted individual, and their entire family, together overcome a debilitating recurrent issue. The individual and their family complete concurrent phases in unison. A team of Plahn Group behavioral health consultants, some focused on helping the family, others catering to the needs of the afflicted individual, begin working with the family during active dysfunction and continue for a minimum of eighteen-months to attain lasting recovery. Completing all phases of the process unites the family and produces dramatic positive change throughout the family system.

Afflicted Individual

Family and Loved Ones
ACTIVE DYSFUNCTION AND CRISIS

Whether active addiction and/or behavioral health struggles, a loved one is suffering and their family member is compelled to contact Plahn Group for a solution.
FORMATION

Upon engagement, the family works with Plahn Group consultants who gather information to uncover the needs of the afflicted individual and family as a whole. The family and afflicted individual are carefully matched with Plahn Group consultants who form their recovery team. Detailed plans for the family system are incorporated into an initial Blueprint for Lasting Recovery™ that outlines recommended actions and treatment resources.

INVITATION TO FAMILY MEETING

On behalf of the family, Plahn Group works directly with the recommended treatment resources. Plahn Group consultants guide the family throughout all the nuances of this phase, including coordination of a Family Meeting, and the needed preparation for the family to invite their afflicted loved one to attend.

FAMILY MEETING

The Plahn Group recovery team of behavioral health consultants facilitates a Family Meeting that is attended by all parties. At this meeting (or series of meetings), the afflicted individual and concerned loved ones accept help together. Two or three pre-vetted treatment resource options are presented to the afflicted individual at the meeting and the family confirms their commitment to also embark on a recovery journey. In our experience, the loving and dignified process, and the caring nature of this event helps move even the most treatment-averse individuals to accept help. When they do, the treatment facility is prepared for their immediate arrival.

COMPASSIONATE ACCOMPANIMENT

Plahn Group recovery consultants accompany the afflicted individual from the Family Meeting to the selected primary treatment facility via the signature offering, Compassionate Accompaniment™. Consultants remain nearby the afflicted individual for the first several days in order to lower anxiety, increase willingness and commitment to recovery, and create a successful acclimation to the treatment facility.

FAMILY INTENSIVE

Immediately after the afflicted individual accepts help and departs for treatment, the family recovery consultant facilitates a decompression session. This powerful session allows the family to process what just happened and what’s next. The family recovery consultant then conducts an initial 2-day Family Intensive and reviews the family Blueprint for Lasting Recovery suggestions in detail. Specific recovery resources are suggested for individuals, couples, and the family.

PRIMARY STABILIZATION

Plahn Group consultants collaborate with all treating professionals and continue to guide and advocate for the afflicted individual throughout primary treatment. The primary recovery consultant speaks with the afflicted individual a minimum of three times per week and meets in person at the treatment facility every 2-3 weeks.

The primary recovery consultant works closely with the treatment facility’s clinical team to ensure successful matriculation through treatment, always planning for the appropriate next step. Plahn Group assembles a highly individualized continuing care program that incorporates the family’s concerns and recommendations from the treatment facility into a cohesive document, the Family Agreement.

PRIMARY STABILIZATION

Plahn Group consultants work closely with family members, and any involved professionals, to ensure the family’s concerns are given appropriate attention while the afflicted individual undergoes the initial phase of treatment. The family consultant maintains weekly contact with the family via phone, and every 4-6 weeks at an in-person Family Meeting.

The Plahn Group recovery team collaborates with the treatment facility’s clinical team, creating successful communication for the family and their afflicted loved one. The family consultant helps the concerned loved ones prepare for success at the primary treatment family program (if applicable.) Consultants continue to recommend and collaborate with recovery professionals for the family. Plahn Group proactively prepares the family for the individuals’ successful treatment program completion, with detailed plans for secondary treatment.

COMPASSIONATE ACCOMPANIMENT
(Secondary)
On behalf of the family, Plahn Group works directly with the recommended treatment resources. Plahn Group consultants guide the family throughout all the nuances of this phase, including coordination of a Family Meeting, and the needed preparation for the family to invite their afflicted loved one to attend. Consultants continue to recommend and collaborate with recovery professionals for the family. Plahn Group proactively prepares the family for the individual's successful treatment program completion, with detailed plans for secondary treatment.
SECONDARY STABILIZATION

Plahn Group collaborates with all treating professionals who work with the afflicted individual during their secondary treatment, including: the treatment facility’s clinical team, all treating professionals, the family consultant, and the family. The afflicted individual and their recovery consultant speak multiple times per week, and meet in-person every 2-3 weeks.

As progress occurs, Plahn Group develops a highly individualized continuing care program, amended into the Blueprint for Lasting Recovery. This comprises updated Plahn Group recommendations, and suggestions from all treating professionals, while integrating the family’s voice in an appropriate manner.

  
SECONDARY STABILIZATION

Weekly phone contact continues between the family and their Plahn Group family recovery consultant, with an in-person Family Meeting every 4-6 weeks. The family recovery consultant works closely with family members and their treating professionals to ensure the entire family’s progress continues as the afflicted individual is at secondary treatment.

Consistent collaboration among Plahn Group consultants, secondary treatment clinicians, and the afflicted individual continues, in order to align goals, improve communication, make any new and necessary recommendations, and drive growth for the entire family. Family and concerned loved ones are prepared for success at the secondary treatment facility family program (if applicable.) The Plahn Group recovery team proactively prepares the family for successful completion of the individual's treatment program, and outlines their part in a detailed continuing care program.

COMPASSIONATE ACCOMPANIMENT
(Transitional)
The same Plahn Group consultants assist the afflicted individual in a seamless transition to their next step in the recovery process and help them acclimate.
TRANSFORMATION

After months of treatment, healing, and progress on the path of recovery, Plahn Group consultants now guide the family forward during the next 9-12 months. While the afflicted individual works toward continued successes in a real world setting, prevention of a return to old behaviors is a key focus. The Plahn Group recovery team coordinates a Family Meeting every 2-3 months, or as indicated, that now includes the afflicted individual. To continue to deepen the new familial connection, volunteer work and philanthropy may be prescribed. The Plahn Group recovery team plans a Destination Family Meeting, a family meeting in a vacation setting that includes a 2-3 day family intensive.

The significant level of change that has occurred at this point can cause an afflicted/recovering individual to feel as though they are "fixed," resulting in complacency. To prevent backsliding progress, the afflicted individual and their Plahn Group consultant maintain daily contact, and have in-person meetings every 2-3 weeks.

The family has experienced noticeable change and progress at this point. To keep the family accountable for continued growth and change, and prevent a return to old communication and behavior patterns, the family recovery consultant continues to be highly involved via weekly phone contact.

GROWTH

The final 3-6 months consists of high-level work with the Plahn Group team and all engaged recovery professionals to help the family system thrive - as individuals and a family. Plahn Group recommends a Destination Family Meeting take place at this point. This event is partially facilitated by the Plahn Group team (2-3 day family intensive) with the majority of the time available for the family to reflect upon and celebrate their accomplishments on a journey to what once seemed impossible, but is now their reality. This phase is essential to help the entire family system flourish, instead of simply succeeding – and leads to lasting recovery.

LASTING RECOVERY

Radical positive change is now a reality for the entire family system. The once afflicted individual, and the entire family system have overcome a chronic behavioral health condition that was destroying the entire family. Dramatic qualitative improvement in several areas is evident for all involved. The family has learned how to sustain their positive change and together experiences lasting recovery.

Key Terms Explained

Blueprint for Lasting Recovery™

 The Blueprint for Lasting Recovery is a comprehensive plan with critical actions and specific recovery recommendations for individuals and the entire family system. Beginning shortly after formal engagement, and throughout our long-term process, there will be several iterations of the Blueprint for Lasting Recovery as a result of progress, milestones, clinical recommendations, difficulties, new information, and many other reasons. The blueprint is certainly not a static plan, but instead becomes an ever-evolving component of the recovery process. The plan is designed by skilled Plahn Group consultants to ensure the afflicted individual, and entire family system, together overcome the behavioral health condition, heal as a family, and realize dramatic positive change.

Family Meeting

 The family’s Plahn Group recovery team facilitates a dignified loving process, referred to as a Family Meeting, at several key intervals during The Plahn Method. The initial Family Meeting is where the afflicted individual and concerned loved ones accept help together. Subsequent family meetings create opportunities for the concerned family members to meet as a group, facilitated by their Plahn Group family recovery consultant. As the afflicted individual and family and loved ones make progress, family meetings become significant opportunities for growth and healing for individuals and the entire family system, as skilled Plahn Group consultants guide all parties to lasting recovery.

Compassionate Accompaniment™

 Transitions can be very difficult times that are typically underestimated and overlooked during the recovery process. The Plahn Method uses these periods of heightened anxiety, fear, and impending change as pivotal opportunities to create stronger rapport and forge deeper relationships with the afflicted individual. This is not babysitting or simply escorting someone safely to a destination. Compassionate Accompaniment uses proven techniques, empathic sharing, and structured in-person communication to lower anxiety, increase willingness, and build rapid and deep rapport with the afflicted individual that has proven to be vital for a meaningful long-term relationship.

Family Agreement

Many times an afflicted individual will receive a 1-2 page aftercare plan from a treatment facility. While this is helpful, we know there must be more. A Plahn Group Family Agreement is a highly detailed document that represents a balanced understanding among the concerned family, afflicted individual, and their Plahn Group consultants. The Family Agreement is designed to consider all possible scenarios and have all parties agree upon the course of action around each, to eliminate uncertainty if and when they occur. To create the agreement, Plahn Group consultants work together to incorporate the recommendations of all treating professionals and programs, amend the Blueprint for Lasting Recovery, coordinate monitoring programs (if applicable), set up transitional or sober living environments, and outline extremely detailed accountability measures and contingency plans should difficulties occur.