Next Steps

Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program

VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Building 1 – 7-East

West Haven, Connecticut

Next Steps Team

Director: Howard Steinberg, Ph.D.

Medical Attending: Bachaar Arnaout, M.D.

Christine Franco, Ph.D.

Kirsten Ranciato, LCSW

Laura Giesman, APRN

Rosalyn Biggins

Mike Doyle

Carl Bordeaux

Abdulqawi Guess

Gerri Hunter

Randy Bruno, RN

Andrea Young, RN

Arlene Dayle, RN

Dionne Tomlinson-McNeill, RN

William Olschafskie, RN

This is a website maintained by Veterans and volunteers. While the contents of this site have been developed in cooperation with VA personnel, it is not an official site of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Next Steps commits to engaging veterans in recovery-oriented care, a process of hope and empowerment to pursue a meaningful life. Specifically, Next Steps provides a safe, supportive, and structured residential setting for veterans who are struggling with severe and persistent mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders who are currently homeless or in living conditions not conducive to recovery.

MISSION

Next Steps, a Psychosocial Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (PRRTP), is a supportive residential model which:

1) Provides coordinated services in a safe, supportive, and sober residence with an emphasis on connection to long-term outpatient services;

2) Imparts skills and knowledge to veterans which will improve functioning and enhance symptom management to increase independent living skills;

3) Coordinates and advocates referrals to appropriate housing;

4) Enhances motivation to engage in outpatient treatment and psychosocial rehabilitation services.

INTEGRATED PSYCHIATRIC & REHABILITATION SERVICES

Upon acceptance to Next Steps veterans collaborate with the Next Steps team to develop an individualized treatment and psychosocial rehabilitation plan tailored to their goal for participation in Next Steps. Veterans participate in classes and healthy leisure activities for most of the day, 7 days a week. Veterans spend most of their day outside of the medical center. All veterans attend a day program, appropriate to their preference and need, at the Newington Substance Abuse Treatment Program, Newington Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program, the West Haven Community Reintegration Program, or West Haven Substance Abuse Day Program. Veterans attend Next Steps classes and individual interventions in the afternoon, evening, and weekends. A major component of this program is collaboration with VA day program staff, providers in the VA clinics, as well as community providers, in order to engage veterans in outpatient services to maximize community reintegration.

REFERRAL and LENGTH OF STAY

Referral to Next Steps needs to be approved by the primary mental health clinician. Admission also depends on acceptance by a day program if the veteran has no other productive, structured activity in the morning such as work. Eligibility criteria include:

1. mental illness and/or substance use disorder,

2. homelessness or in living conditions not conducive to recovery,

3. willingness to work toward a treatment goal in accordance with Next Steps expectations and programming.

Veteran’s length of stay is typically 3-4 weeks, depending on the veteran’s goals and treatment plan. Progress and discharge date will be reviewed weekly.