CrossRoads-Faith Community and Treatment support services.
"We have come to believe that Faith Based Recovery programs provide a unique path for "Best Practices" when partnered with the treatment field, recovering community, and church leadership, as these provide a path for an individuals strong spiritual foundation,  which we know to be key to long term recovery" says Melanise, when asked about the innovative 12-step based "Cross Roads" program underway in New Orleans 9th ward, one the hardest hit areas in our state.  We will continue to update you as this program unfolds!

There has been great criticism of the President's faith based initiative, and that appears to be in the lack of education or information related to the disease of addiction.  Programs that identify and meet the medical needs of those seeking recovery make good sense, and will find great success.  Treatment professionals and the medical community support those efforts that include "best practices" for clinical treatment (licensed treatment professionals)  within the faith community.  

The medical/treatment providers are quick to denounce the value of programs that totally disregard the the medical component, or concerns when offering "Faith Based" Treatment. 
In other words, if a program is a spiritual service (which is a support service) say so, but don't call it "treatment" the often complex medical side of addiction (De-Tox requires medical care for many) for a medical disease.  Faith, and support is critical for many with other chronic disease, but when diagnosed with heart disease, we see a heart specialist, with addiction, we see a treatment professional.

More on Louisiana Faith Based Treatment Programs from Louisiana OAD

According to the study, adults and teens who consider religion to be very important and who attend religious services at least once a week are not as likely to smoke, drink or use illicit drugs. Individuals who, in addition to receiving treatment, attend spiritually-based support programs, such as the 12-step programs of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, are more likely to maintain sobriety. Those in successful recovery often show greater levels of faith and spirituality than those who relapse.

Among the key findings of the study:

• Adults who do not consider religious beliefs important are more than one and one-half times likely to use alcohol and cigarettes, and more than three times more likely to binge than adults who strongly believe that religion is important.
• Adults who never attend religious services are almost twice as likely to drink alcohol and almost seven times likelier to binge drink than those who attend religious services at least weekly.
• Teens who do not consider religious beliefs important are almost three times likelier to drink and binge drink than teens who strongly believe that religion is important.
• Teens who never attend religious services are twice as likely to drink and more than three times likelier to binge drink than teens who attend religious services at least weekly.

However, as noted on page 5 of Spotlight on…Challenges to Alcohol Treatment, 58% of clergy polled in another study acknowledge that they avoid addressing alcoholism among the individuals and families they counsel. Below are some ways in which religion and spirituality can be used to help prevent substance abuse and addiction, and to improve recovery.

• Train clergy to recognize signs of substance abuse and alcoholism and how to deal with them. Clergy should incorporate prevention and recovery messages into their ministry and become familiar with treatment services in their communities.
• Train medical professionals to recognize the importance of spirituality and take advantage of spiritual and religious resources available in their local communities.
• Conduct more research to better understand and enhance the effectiveness of faith-based prevention initiatives and treatment programs.