Extended Care Program

The average length of stay is 8 months, though some clients stay longer depending on their progress and clinical needs. We don’t rush people out, and we don’t hold them longer than necessary. The program ends when the client is ready – when they’re setting their own goals, following through on commitments, and demonstrating they can maintain progress independently.

Thirty days is enough time to stabilize someone. It’s rarely enough time to change them. Extended Care provides the time required to address what’s actually driving the addiction – trauma, mental health conditions, family dynamics, undeveloped life skills – while giving clients a structured environment to practice living differently. By the time they graduate, they’ve been doing the work long enough that it’s become habit.

It’s for young men who need more than short-term treatment can provide. That might mean they’ve been through programs before that didn’t stick, or they’re dealing with co-occurring mental health issues that require sustained clinical attention. It might mean they’ve never learned to function as an independent adult. Some clients come after multiple treatment attempts. Others are going to treatment for the first time but need a level of structure and accountability that a short-term program can’t offer.

Days are structured and full. Clients participate in clinical programming – group therapy, individual therapy, and psychiatric care as needed – alongside house responsibilities, life skills work, and outside commitments like jobs, school, or volunteer work depending on where they are in the program. Evenings include recovery meetings, house activities, and time with peers. The structure is intentional and adjusts as clients progress.

Clients live in one of four residences in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas. Each home houses a maximum of 8 clients and has a live-in house manager. The homes are fully furnished, and meals and transportation are provided. We maintain close to a 2-to-1 client-to-staff ratio across the program.

Yes – eventually. Early in the program, the focus is on clinical work and establishing stability. As clients progress and demonstrate accountability, they begin taking on outside commitments like part-time work, school, or volunteer positions. This is an important part of the program – learning to manage real responsibilities while still having support.

Very involved. Each client has a dedicated case manager who serves as the primary point of contact for the family. Parents receive weekly updates and participate in family therapy. We also work with families on their own dynamics – helping them understand patterns that may have developed over years of crisis and equipping them to support their son in a way that doesn’t enable old behaviors.

Yes. We encourage family visits and work with families to schedule them at appropriate times in the client’s treatment. Early in the program, we may recommend limiting visits while the client establishes stability. As they progress, visits become more frequent and eventually include off-campus time together.

Clients progress through multiple levels of clinical care over the course of the program – Partial Hospitalization (PHP), Intensive Outpatient (IOP), and Supportive Outpatient. Programming includes group therapy, individual therapy with a master’s-level clinician, family therapy, and psychiatric care. The level of intensity adjusts based on where the client is in their recovery.

Relapse doesn’t mean automatic discharge. It means an honest conversation about what happened and a reassessment of the treatment plan. We look at what led to the relapse, whether the current level of care is appropriate, and what needs to change going forward. The goal is to address it directly and use it as information – not to punish the client for struggling.

Clients graduate with a continuing care plan that includes ongoing recovery support, connection to community resources, and clear next steps for housing, employment, or school. Many clients stay connected to the Lighthouse alumni community. We also offer a Recovery Coaching program for clients and families who want continued accountability after graduation.

Insurance typically covers the clinical components of the program – PHP, IOP, and individual therapy. The residential living portion is private pay. We work with families to verify benefits and create a financial plan before admission. Our team can walk you through what to expect based on your specific coverage.

Many clients arrive ambivalent or resistant. That’s normal. The structure of the program creates enough stability for the clinical work to begin, and most clients shift over time as they start to experience progress. Our staff are experienced in working with clients who aren’t fully bought in yet. Willingness often develops through the process rather than before it.

We track clinical progress through regular assessments and treatment plan reviews. But we’re also watching for the things that matter in real life – whether a client follows through on commitments, how he handles conflict, whether he’s honest when no one’s forcing him to be. The real measure is whether he can function independently by the time he leaves.