Understanding Youth in Recovery

Do younger addicts and alcoholics respond to the need for treatment in ways similar to other groups? Are there unique differences in circumstance? Are their prospects for recovery better or worse than other groups?

Film producer Jack Sinclair has a genuine passion to document the experience of a younger population in need of and accepting sobriety. His riveting documentary, Twelve: Is there life after rehab in recovery? catalogues the decline, fall, and resurrected lives of 20 or so faces and voices dealing with the harsh reality of addiction.  The recovery experiences are brought into focus by delving into the individual circumstances that help identify needs, examining the arduous process of connecting, and sharing candidly the struggles that are often typical of a younger group going through the healing process. Most have found long term solutions as well as becoming integrated into the world they once withdrew from. 

To view selected sequences of this award winning documentary, and to get more information on the project, go to Twelve.

Education that Changes Lives

Recognition for Martinez UMC

Walk Demonstrates Faith Community Support

A weekend walk organized by Faith Partners ministry teams in the Paducah, KY area brought attention to supporting local recovery efforts. The walk was held along Paducah’s floodwall and participants included representatives from multiple church teams. The effort was intent on both drawing attention to and celebrating the successes of people reaching out for help in dealing with problems of alcohol and substance abuse. Turnout was impressive, and the event was reported on bt the local media.

Click on Recovery Walk for more information on this event and comments by participants

Article by Lauren Adams, WPSDLocal6 News, Paducah, KY

Advancing Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment

The prevalence of substance abuse and compulsive behavior disorders is astonishingly high in congregations and religious communities. Pews are full of those whose lives are controlled and destroyed by the influence of addictions and substance abuse. Given the limits of training that religious leaders often receive, how can it be identified and what steps can be taken to deal effectively with it?

How does the church approach an effective response with a heart of kindness and mercy? Can a response be informed by a new theological understanding based on the language of the recovery community? Why is it that those in need so often back away from the faith community? How can religious leaders be equipped to be helpers to others, to find the right resources, and to lead those in need “home to God”?

This video is a segment from the documentary, Recovering Nation. The full program is available free of charge to clergy, through the Hanley Center in West Palm Beach. Made Possible by the Hanley Family Foundation.

The Hanley Family Foundation, Inc. (HFF) was created to advance the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of alcoholism, chemical dependency and addictive behavior, including support for related research and education.  

Additional inquiries and questions may  be directed to the Hanley Family Foundation here. 

More information about Hanley Center programs and orders for RECOVERING NATION, the documentary DVD that explores the complex relationship between addiction and religion, can be requested here.

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