Discharge is the most dangerous handoff in all of treatment. The client is leaving structure and stepping back into the world that fed the problem. A strong aftercare plan is the bridge across that gap. Use this checklist to make sure no client walks out the door without one.
Before discharge day
- Written relapse-prevention plan completed with the client, not handed to them
- Personal trigger list and a concrete response for each
- Named support contacts — including at least one peer who's been there
- Scheduled first follow-up within 72 hours of discharge
- Continuing care referrals (therapy, IOP, medical) confirmed and booked, not just listed
- Crisis plan: who to call, including 988, saved in their phone
The connection plan
A plan on paper protects no one if there's no contact after the client leaves. Every discharge should specify:
- Who checks in, and when. The first 30 days are highest-risk — front-load contact there.
- A peer connection. Someone who survived the same struggle, ready before the client needs them.
- A low-friction way to reach help. One tap, not a phone tree.
The first 30 days
- Check-in within 72 hours, then at least weekly
- Watch for early warning signs: isolation, missed meetings, sleep disruption
- Re-engage fast when someone goes quiet — silence is a signal, not a break
- Confirm they attended their first outside appointment
The first 90 days
- Transition to a sustainable check-in rhythm
- Keep peer connection active
- Capture status data for your outcomes reporting
- Invite into ongoing alumni community
Make the checklist run itself
Every item above is doable by hand — and easy to drop when staff are stretched. Alumni software automates the check-in schedule, handles peer matching, and flags the clients who go quiet, so the plan actually gets executed instead of filed. See how Still Here supports discharge and aftercare →
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