The H.E.A.L. Program
(Helping to Eliminate Addiction with Love)

Mission Statement

The H.E.A.L. program will assist in helping individuals find work, improve their lives, and strengthen their environment. The program will accomplish the following for the individuals through job search services and job performance coaching, drug and alcohol counseling, health and wellness services, family counseling, and general information.

******

The H.E.A.L. Program has been up and running since June 6th 2005.  It started as one night, one hour per week, but now has expanded to two nights in response to growing need arising out of the high number of low-income individuals in our community.  This program provides help to people in need of support in their recovery from alcohol and/or substance abuse.  In addition to facilitating therapeutic group meetings, and assisting participants in accessing basic/practical needs, the program also brings in faith-based guidance to promote more effective decision-making in daily living.

The target for this program is men, women and children of all ages and walks of life. Where health concerns or the distance between our program location and an individual’s residence presents an obstacle to program participation, we provide transportation.  During class times, we also provide childcare.  In the last three years, we have helped 50 to 75 people through this program.

Each week, this program continues to engage new individuals in the low-income population through the work we do in our Eddy Shelter and Main Street outreach ministries as well as in our collaborative efforts with the local “soup kitchen” and women-with-children’s shelters.

We are located in the City’s North End, a section of the city that has long been identified as having persistent and chronic health, housing, and economic problems.  Our current facility has three separate meeting spaces, three restrooms, a kitchenette, a discreet rear entrance, and is also equipped with electronic accessibility features for the convenience of the physically challenged.

The director of our program has been instructing these classes for the past three years.  He has twelve years of experience and finds great joy in helping people get their lives back on course.

Many of the participants in this program reside in transitional living situations (i.e. inpatient treatment program, homeless shelter, temporary residency with a friend or relative).  When they are ready to make the move to independent living, we provide continuing support by assisting in the moving process, supplying labor and heavy transport as well as linkage to and provision of necessities like furniture, appliances, dishes, etc.