How Abu Dhabi's halfway houses help recovering drug addicts return to society

Khaleej Times

5 hours ago

Abu Dhabi's halfway houses are offering recovering drug addicts more than a roof over their heads; they are providing structure, therapy, and a path back to society.
The houses are backed by creative holistic treatment methods involving their family members and gradual release back to society; Khaleej Times spoke to field doctors who detailed how the project supports reintegration into society.
Launched in May 2023 by the Family Care Authority (FCA), the halfway house project supports people after they complete medical detox or in-patient psychiatric care. 'The goal is to reintegrate into society and be an active person economically and socially after the treatment period,' said Salama Al Ameemi, Director General of the FCA.
Unlike traditional rehabilitation centres, the FCA's halfway houses combine inpatient and outpatient services, with a capacity for 21 residential patients and up to 200 in outpatient care.
Cases arrive through walk-ins, referrals from treatment facilities, or from the police, prosecutors and courts. 'What we do is basically rewiring human behaviour,' said Al Ameemi. 'We work on the psychological side, the emotional side, the professional side, and the quality of the person so that he can return to normal life and be able to take responsibility for himself.'
A structured recovery
The halfway house programme follows a phased approach. Dr Alyaa Aljasmi, Halfway Houses Division Manager, explained: 'The first phase is about medical stabilisation during the first month. The second phase is more about psychological and social rehabilitation, with specialised programmes such as behavioural therapy. The third phase is the reintegration phase, making sure the person can work, prepare for a job interview, and integrate gradually into society.'
Daily life is highly structured. 'They wake up between 8.30 and 9am, have breakfast and medications, then meditation, followed by group therapy,' said psychiatrist Dr Shokry Alemam, chief doctor at the half-way facility.
Sessions cover cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, relapse prevention, and a 12-step programme. 'In the afternoon they have physical exercises, dedicated time for reading, homework, supervised entertainment,' he said. 'At the end of the day they have reflection sessions, and lights off by midnight.'
Family at the core
What sets Abu Dhabi's model apart is its integration of families into the recovery process. 'The international models are based on individualism. But here we're a collective society, so family is there,' said Al Ameemi. 'We believe this support system is very important, so they are not judged by society or their family.'
Family involvement starts on day one. 'We do family counselling, family therapy, marital therapy, couple therapy, according to the marital status. Some families treat the beneficiary as if it's misbehaviour, not a disorder,' said Dr Shoukry. 'One of the major changes is to change the stigma, and understand that it's a disorder.'
Preventing relapse
Relapse prevention is a top priority for the programme, with individualised plans addressing three main risk factors — places, situations and people. 'We prepare the plan with them to avoid places with related memories and people who are active users,' said Dr Shokry. 'If they find themselves in a risky situation, they are more than welcome to join us again, just to protect themselves.'
The approach appears to be working. 'Most of our beneficiaries have integrated successfully with their families; at least half of them have secured jobs in the private sector,' said Dr Alyaa
Innovative therapies
The halfway houses use a range of methods rarely seen in the region. Equine-assisted psychotherapy is led by renowned specialist Professor Andreas. 'Horses have the ability to reflect internal emotions, which helps beneficiaries express emotional conflicts they can't express verbally,' explained Dr Shokry.
Neurofeedback targets specific brain areas linked to addiction, depression, ADHD and other conditions. 'We create a treatment plan, and the beneficiary receives at least 20 sessions for each method — this helps modify the function of brain cells to return to normal levels,' he said. Art and movement therapy further support emotional expression.
A gradual return to life
Integration into society is carefully paced. 'It's gradual; the patient goes home for two days and then stays at the halfway house. The days at home increase as we make sure he is applying the skills he learned,' said Dr Alyaa. 'If he (or she) faces challenges, they should go back to the medical team.'
The programme is voluntary, which Al Ameemi considers a success factor in itself. 'As long as the person voluntarily wants to be treated, this is a success story,' she said.
For many, the biggest fear is not drugs, but life itself. 'The speed of life makes them afraid. They live in structured environments for a long time, so when they leave, they feel they need to return to that structure,' explained Al Ameemi. 'They are also afraid their family will go back to doubt or lack of trust.'
The FCA hopes the model will expand across Abu Dhabi emirate. 'We are here to support this group because they need this kind of medical and social support to return to normal life,' she added. 'When we succeed, we can go to the region and show it to people.'