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Children of Parents
with Alcohol& Drug Addiction
GET UPDATED FACT SHEETS-Alcohol & Addiction
Faith-based Organizations.
There is no standard or accepted definition of a faith-based
organization, but the term generally denotes religious congregations,
religion-based social service organizations (e.g., Catholic Charities or
the Salvation Army), and other types of organizations that might have a
religious affiliation or identity.
“If ever the sum were
greater than the parts, it is in combining the power of God, religion
and spirituality with the power of science and professional medicine to
prevent and treat substance abuse and addiction,”
Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA
President and former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare.
"A religion true
to its natures must also be concerned about man's social
conditions. Religion deals with both earth and heaven, both
time and eternity. Religion operates not only on the vertical
plane but also on the horizontal. It seeks not only to
integrate men with God but to integrate men with men and each
man with himself."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Concerns about Church and
State Issues Surface
Opponents of Access to Recovery,
including civil liberties groups and some medical professionals, have
raised concerns that drug rehabilitation programs operated by religious
organizations might be lacking in the quality of their care or
effectiveness. Some also object that such programs may cross the
constitutional line separating church and state.
Theresa Thompson, senior legislative
analyst for
Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said she is
concerned that people seeking treatment services may not receive all the
information they need before choosing an approved service provider. She
said that could result in clients being forced to experience religious
indoctrination in order to get treatment.
"Beneficiaries should have the right to know that they have the right
not to be discriminated against, that they have the right not to
participate in religious exercises, they have the right to choose their
provider, and get their voucher back," Thompson said.
Reading on Faith & Funding
"In Good Faith"
SEPTEMBER 2004 More on
Recovery Advocacy in Louisiana
Louisiana members of
WeRecover and HopeNetworks , answer questions for National Recovery
Month Web-Cast on Faith Based Recovery.
 Melanise
Frederick, Assistant Director, Crossroad Outreach Ministry speaks as
expert on panel for Faith and Recovery WebCast
Watch the WebCast on Faith and
Recovery
Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), and a panel of experts as they explore the critical part
played by faith- and community-based systems and provide useful tips on
how you and your organization can get involved in this important and
timely Webcast.
The beneficial role that faith- and
community-based organizations play in preventing and facilitating
recovery from alcohol and drug use disorders has long been acknowledged.
Humble
Hero's Opening Doors to meet need.
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 OAD
Spirituality and Religion: New Enlightenment for Addiction Recovery
 A national study reports that tapping the
power of religion and spirituality has enormous potential for lowering
the risk of substance abuse among teens and adults and, when combined
with professional treatment, for promoting recovery.
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.
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- Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.
--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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So many American's believe, and carry hope for their communities,
and want to be part of the solution, it appears that may now be
possible-no longer will community projects be discriminated against
simply because they are rooted in spiritually driven work, which has
been the foundation of hope for many people for years. It is
possible to support faith based programs, and to ensure issues related
to "Church/State" are protected. All programs that use federal
dollars are subject to misuse, or inappropriate use, their are
barriers that can be put in place, to prevent these problems, we
should support efforts that protect all people from potential problems
and promote an end to the disease of addiction and a new day
supporting Recovery.(Below is from the White House's
"Faith
Based" Initiative)
Millions of Americans are enslaved to drugs or alcohol. Hundreds of
thousands live on the streets. And despite the many successes of
welfare reform, too many families remain dependent and many of those
who have left the rolls can barely make ends meet.
A great
and prosperous nation can and must do better. Americans are a deeply
compassionate people and will not tolerate indifference toward the
poor. But they also want compassionate results, not just compassionate
intentions.
More to consider on the communities across our country: (Very much
touches Our
Purpose)
- As
many as 15 million young people are at risk of not reaching
productive adulthood -- falling prey to crime, drugs and other
problems that make it difficult to obtain an education, successfully
enter the workforce, or otherwise contribute to society;
- More
than 2 million children have a father or mother in prison or jail;
- More
than half a million children are in foster care, and more than
one fifth of those children are awaiting adoption;
In
1997, more than one million babies were born to unwed mothers,
many of whom are children themselves; and
More
than one out of six American families with children live on an
annual income of $17,000 or less.
What is
happening where you celebrate your
faith?
Pass it on.....
We are looking for Spiritual leaders and their stories of hope
in
assisting communities with substance abuse issues!.
Write us!
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