Free Integration Course

1. 01The first weeks homeThe first weeks are for rest, routine and small steps, not big decisions. What's common after coming home, the safety points that still apply, and the feelings that come and go.+

   Lessons

   • ·Rest first, decide later
   • ·Follow your program's discharge instructions
   • ·After a break from opioids, a past dose can kill
   • ·Feelings that come and go

   Exercise

   A daily check-in card: sleep, food, mood, who you talked to, and one small thing that went right.

2. 02The basics: sleep, food, movementSimple routines give the rest of your day something to stand on. Regular sleep, regular meals, movement that suits your body, and when to see a doctor.+

   Lessons

   • ·Sleep as a routine
   • ·Eating regularly
   • ·Moving your body, and getting outside
   • ·When the basics aren't working, see a doctor

   Exercise

   A one-week basics log: when you slept, ate and moved, and how the day went.

3. 03Making meaning: writingWriting helps you hold on to what you learned before it fades, and test it before you act on it. The Write part of the Foundational Four.+

   Lessons

   • ·Write it down while it's fresh
   • ·An insight is not an instruction
   • ·Difficult doesn't mean bad
   • ·Re-read the letter you wrote before you left

   Exercise

   Three weekly prompts: what keeps coming back to you, what you'd like to do about it, and what you'll wait on before you act.

4. 04Relationships and repairComing home means coming back to people, some of whom were hurt or worried for a long time. Honest repair, boundaries, and letting trust rebuild at its own pace.+

   Lessons

   • ·Coming home to people who waited
   • ·Making amends without making speeches
   • ·Boundaries with people and places
   • ·Trust takes the time it takes

   Exercise

   A repair list: the person, what happened, what you want to say, and what you'll do differently. Start with one.

5. 05A daily practice: the Foundational FourRead. Write. Move. Meditate. PACT's morning rhythm for learning, reflection, physical practice and attention. Build your own version and keep it going.+

   Lessons

   • ·Read: a book, an article, a course
   • ·Write: notice patterns, ask questions
   • ·Move: activity that suits your body
   • ·Meditate: practice paying attention
   • ·Putting the four together in the morning

   Exercise

   Your morning plan, and a two-week tracker for each of the four.

6. 06Community and mentorsConnection is the thread that runs through PACT. How small groups and mentors work, what a mentor is and isn't, and how to find your people, in PACT or elsewhere.+

   Lessons

   • ·Why connection matters
   • ·PACT cohorts: six people, three months, a shared project
   • ·What a mentor does, and what a mentor isn't
   • ·Other places to find your people

   Exercise

   A connection inventory: who you can call, who you'd like to know better, and one group or meeting to try this week.

7. 07Building what comes nextAfter the first weeks, the question becomes what you want to build. Work, service, learning, and the kind of shared project a PACT cohort takes on.+

   Lessons

   • ·Work and money, one step at a time
   • ·Service: being useful to someone else
   • ·Learning something new
   • ·Choosing a project worth three months

   Exercise

   A 90-day plan: one main thing, the first three steps, and who will help.

8. 08When to get professional helpCoaching, mentoring and community aren't therapy or medical care, and sometimes you need those. The signs it's time to call a therapist or doctor, and what to do in a crisis.+

   Lessons

   • ·Coaching, mentoring and therapy are different
   • ·Signs it's time to call a therapist or doctor
   • ·In a crisis: call or text 988, or call 911
   • ·After a return to use: safety first, then support

   Exercise

   Your safety card: your doctor, a therapist, 988, a trusted person, and what you'll do if things get hard. Keep it on your phone.

This course is education and peer support. It isn't medical care or therapy. If you're in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency.