PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
Bring Whole-Person Recovery Into the Work You Already Do.
Recovery professionals are often asked to address the most immediate problem first.
Substance use.
Withdrawal.
Psychiatric symptoms.
Crisis.
Those concerns matter. But as recovery progresses, the work often becomes broader.
Mental and emotional health.
Grief and identity.
Relationships.
Daily functioning.
Purpose.
The parts of life addiction interrupted—and the capacities a person may still need to develop.
The professional education being developed through Getting Squared Away is designed to help clinicians, nurses, counselors, peer recovery specialists, chaplains, students, educators, and other professionals understand recovery through that wider lens.
The goal is not to replace the work you already do.
It is to help you see more of the person standing in front of you.
THREE WAYS TO KEEP LEARNING
03
PROFESSIONAL & FACILITATOR RESOURCES
Tools for the Work Ahead.
Additional professional and facilitator materials are being developed to help translate the framework into practical education, discussion, reflection, and recovery-support settings.
Better understanding changes the questions we ask.
And better questions can help us see what still needs attention.
UNDERSTAND MORE · SEE THE WHOLE PERSON · SUPPORT THE WORK OF REBUILDING
THE FRAMEWORK IN PRACTICE
Look Beyond Substance Cessation.
Stopping substance use is essential.
But for professionals working with people in recovery, another question quickly follows:
What else needs attention?
Addiction can affect far more than substance use itself.
Mental health.
Emotional regulation.
Identity.
Relationships.
Daily functioning.
Education and employment.
The ability to manage responsibilities and move forward in life.
The Squared Away Recovery Framework™ provides a framework for looking across four interconnected dimensions so that important parts of recovery are less likely to be overlooked.
Substance Cessation & Neurobiological Stabilization
01
What needs attention as substance use stops and the brain and body begin to stabilize?
Consider withdrawal, cravings, sleep, physical health, medication needs, and the neurobiological changes that can influence early recovery.
02
Mental Health Stabilization
Address What May Be Happening Beneath the Surface.
What psychiatric symptoms, emotional difficulties, trauma-related concerns, or patterns of thinking may require assessment, treatment, or additional support?
Recovery becomes more difficult when significant mental-health needs remain unidentified or untreated.
Stabilize the Brain and Body.
03
Grief & Identity Reconstruction
Understand What Was Lost—and What Comes Next.
What has this person lost through addiction?
What may need to be grieved?
And who are they learning to become without the substance that may have occupied such a central place in their life?
Recovery involves more than leaving something behind. It also involves developing an identity capable of moving forward.
04
Developmental & Functional Restoration
Rebuild What Addiction Interrupted.
What relationships, responsibilities, life skills, developmental tasks, educational or occupational goals, or everyday capacities may have been interrupted?
Recovery creates an opportunity not simply to restore functioning, but to develop parts of life that may never have had the opportunity to fully develop.
PROFESSIONAL APPLICATION
The Framework Does Not Replace Clinical Judgment.
The Squared Away Recovery Framework™ is not a diagnostic instrument, treatment protocol, or substitute for individualized assessment and evidence-based care.
It provides another lens.
A way to look beyond the presenting problem.
A way to consider what may still need attention.
A way to remember that the person in front of us is more than a diagnosis, a substance, a symptom, or a treatment episode.