Abu Dhabi has introduced a halfway houses model for recovering drug addicts that goes beyond treatment, focusing on guiding individuals back into society with dignity and stability.
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Abu Dhabi has introduced a halfway houses model for recovering drug addicts that goes beyond treatment, focusing on guiding individuals back into society with dignity and stability.
Abu Dhabi has introduced a halfway houses model for recovering drug addicts that goes beyond treatment, focusing on guiding individuals back into society with dignity and stability. Run by the Family Care Authority (FCA), these houses offer both residential and outpatient care, providing structure, therapy, and gradual reintegration following medical detox or psychiatric care.
What distinguishes the Abu Dhabi approach is its emphasis on involving the individual’s family from the start. Therapy includes family counselling and support to address stigma and ensure the recovering addict is embraced, not judged. Each resident follows a structured recovery programme: early medical stabilisation, then psychological and social rehabilitation, and finally, preparation for employment and independent living.
Daily routines are highly organised and include cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, relapse prevention strategies, and a 12-step programme. Creative therapies like equine-assisted psychotherapy, art, movement, and neurofeedback are also part of the toolkit, helping participants express emotions and rebuild self-esteem.
Relapse prevention plans are tailored, steps are taken to avoid triggering environments, and support is ongoing even after leaving the halfway house. Many beneficiaries have successfully integrated with families and secured jobs in the private sector. Abu Dhabi aims to expand the model across more emirates, seeing it as a progressive template for recovery and social inclusion.
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