Houston's Extended Aftercare Surges to Forefront of Substance Abuse Treatment
EAI continues to grab the attention of the Houston recovery community by increasing the quality of its programming and personnel, lending a hand to neighbors and colleagues, and taking the message of sobriety on the road.

HOUSTON, TX, March 18, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Houston's Best Kept Secret -
EAI recently launched its 2009 marketing campaign "The Best Kept Secret", which focuses on reeducating the public as to the services, personnel and recovery community that exists here. "The myth that EAI is a halfway house of homeless people couldn't be farther from the truth," states CEO & Chief Clinical Officer Keith Liles. "It is important that people know of the changes over the past 24 months, and that at EAI, there is a vibrant supportive residential treatment program featuring customized care, a staff of high achievers and impassioned care giving, and, a commitment to continuous improvement of campus facilities."

Our Internal Marketing team has just produced a promotional video that combines staff and former client testimonies with a virtual tour, as well as redesigning the interactive website. Take a moment and visit www.extended-aftercare.com to view the video. Our External Business Development Team is hosting bi-weekly professional breakfasts on campus for private practitioners, treatment centers, EAPs, and other existing funding sources so they can see first hand what the buzz is all about.

To further support our mission, we needed to resurrect the once-prominent recovery campus that EAI was for Houston's recovering community. Ten to fifteen years ago, EAI was the hub, the center of all recovery in Houston. If people needed 12-step meetings, sober activities, healthy clients to visit with, they gravitated to EAI. The 12-step meetings were standing room only. The recreation events were so crowded people were turned away. Today, with the support of our amazing tenured Alumni Association, we are recreating that burning spirit of recovery all around our campus through the expansion of sober socialization events. Additionally, we have drastically increased our involvement with the Sober Recreation Committee, revamped and increased the number of onsite 12-step meetings to reach out to greater numbers, and solicited collaborative agreements with some of Houston's most prominent treatment organizations, such as The Right Step, Santa Maria Hostel, and The Council on Alcohol and Drugs Houston.

Have Breakfast with EAI -
Starting mid-month, Extended Aftercare will begin a series of breakfast meetings for colleagues and referral sources. These biweekly gatherings are intended to reacquaint Houston treatment professionals with EAI.

Following a complimentary breakfast and short presentation, there will be a tour of the newly-renovated facilities, along with an open Q&A regarding EAI's progressive new programming.

If you and/or members of your facility would like to attend one of these breakfasts, please contact Terry Smith (tsmith@extended-aftercare.com).

Street Adoption -
Extended Aftercare's administrative offices are located on the corner of North Shepherd and Delz Street. This past month, EAI decided to "adopt" Delz, a half-mile strip which runs through the main campus and adjacent neighborhoods from Shepherd to Yale. Armed with shovels, pokers, and contractor bags, client and alumni volunteers combed the street, removing all litter and debris in their path.

"I have a lot of gratitude these days. Being able to give back, to beautify this street with no expectation of reward or validation, but just to do it because I know it's the right thing - this is what service is all about," muses Don B., EAI alumnus. "I can't help but see the metaphor here in 'keeping my side of the street clean'."

A Friend in Need -
The greatest thing about Houston's recovering community is that you can count on people coming to the rescue when needed. After a recent fire at Santa Maria Hostel, which caused many female clients and their children to be displaced, Extended Aftercare put together Care Baskets, which included clothing, bedding, personal hygiene items and baby materials.

"A great big thanks for EAI's donation. We have so many that were not able to retrieve any of their belongings. This will really come in handy for them. We are so filled with gratitude for this. I can't thank you enough," noted Kay Austin, CEO of Santa Maria Hostel.

Alumnus Takes recovery on the Road -
Extended Aftercare alumnus Russell P. is well-known in the Houston recovery community, leading meetings in The Heights, at the Turning Point Homeless Shelter, and at EAI. But he is also known for taking his message of experience, strength and hope on the road.

Russ has implemented a new recovery concept at EAI, taking fellow Alumni and sober friends to AA groups out of town such as the "Good for Nothing" in Dickinson and the "New Freedom Motorcycle Group" in Santa Fe. They recently traveled to the Bay Area for an AA benefit, and most recently made two trips to Bolivar to help that community rebuild their 12-step meeting hall that was damaged in Hurricane Ike.

"The Bolivar Peninsula Group is the only meeting in that area, and they really got hit hard by the hurricane," explains Russ. "About twelve of us decided it was the right thing to go down there and see what kind of help they needed."

And help they did. Not only did these men supply 12-step literature and a new coffee pot to the group, they also spent a day priming and painting the devastated facility. Additionally, Russ and friends raised funds upon their return back to town, and were able to deliver a nice monetary donation to Bolivar.

Press Release Contact Information:

J. Andrew Lee
Extended Aftercare, Inc.
PR & Internal Marketing
5002 N. Shepherd
Houston, Texas
USA 77018
Voice: 713-695-8403
Fax: 713-695-3439
Website: Visit Our Website