This blog is a forum for Discussion among faculty and students from Loyola University of Chicago School of Social Work and Vytautas Magnus University, Schools of Social Work and Public Administration.
“Teen Challenge” in Lithuania started in Kaunas city in the year 1996. A group of single-minded people from Kaunas Christian Church began ministry of hopeless women, which were released from prison, alcohol and drug abusers, homeless women etc. Little by little ministry grew up, more and more people were convinced that there is hope and the only one reason for that was God’s love found in Jesus. Individuals whom life were rebuild from ruins, became evident testimony of Jesus’ love a healing power. In the year 2000 this organization were registered officially. At the very beginning they had no methods and means to work with and use them and organize therapies. As they wanted to conduct high-level and professional help, so they started to search for agencies and specialists with experience and more knowledge. Thereby, in 2000 year they found contacts of the well – known American Organization “Teen Challenge”, which had aim to help drug abusers. As time passed by, “Teen Challenge” ministry expanded into the largest ministry in Lithuania to drug addicts, prisoners, street kids and women; and those who were exposed to violence in their own families, to people, whose lives seems hopeless. Lots of brochures and books were published, methods developed by Teen Challenge and spread among youth. This literature is used in trainings and tutorials during the work with clients (they are called as “students”). Those trainings include some psychological therapies and trainings of personality growth. They are taught to search for their good and bad sides and work on them, to be able to change something in character and accept themselves as they are. Today “Teen Challenge” Lithuania unifies: • 2 men’s rehabilitation centers • Women’s rehabilitation centre • 2 kids day care centers • Reintegration to society house • Prison ministries • “Turning point” ministries • Church ministry • Mission ministries • Sunday school ministries
The agency’s mission: "Teen Challenge" Lithuania is a non-profit organization whose objective is to help those who stumbled and cannot get up by themselves. Usually these people are socially broken and outcasts of society, therefore it is very important to offer them a helping hand. When they recover and change their life styles, they become new people who want to help others, to pay state taxes so that life would be better, who want that the world we live in would become brighter. These people come into bloom like wonderful flowers of God which can be grown on the muck of the past life.
Services and its’ types of providing: Program concludes of three steps. Step 1. A program of motivation “Posūkio taškas” (“Point of turning”). Its’ aim is to stimulate a person for rehabilitation. Our workers and volunteers go to places where some kind of socially broken people (homeless, drugs abusers and so on) lives or crowds, and try to motivate them for better choice of life. That is doing by talking with groups of social risks people, they’re invited to go to day center, group counseling and lectures. All is doing in self-help groups. This motivation program is also in prison. Step 2. Rehabilitation of persons who are motivated to become a full value members of society by learning them to live in a community and to be socially active. And there are three stages of rehabilitation process. Stage 1. Meeting each other. The aim is to know yourself better, to learn how to communicate with another persons (longs 3 months). Main things in this stage: • Get to know community, yourself and each other; • Get to know your strengths and weaknesses; • Get to know your problem; • Find out your values, worth, keep an eye on your habits which needs to be changed; • Issues and ways to solve it; • Learning to collaborate; • To get differences by destructive and constructive things. Stage 2. Forming yourself. The aim is to get more stable inside (longs 3 months). Main things in this stage: • Stressing results which are done; • Stressing things which are reached; • Evaluating yourself; • Learning to be tolerant; • Renewing communication with parents, children, friends and so on. Stage 3. Return. The aim is to get more independent. Main things: • To get ready for independent life; • To get new vision of your life; • Evaluating your possibility to live without help.
Step 3. Program of adaptation (socially adaptation). People live in “adaptation home” where they get help in self-care, home care and so on, but now they are doing everything by themselves and help is taking only if they are not able to do something. Some kinds of help could be consulting, finding information, children care, paying bills, communicating, etc.
Funding sources that support the agency: Mostly, financial support comes from the projects’ money, business organizations with own profit and single persons who help by their own will and it can be money or other accommodation means. Clients themselves should also pay (half of the prices or sometimes even less) for their rehabilitation and accommodation. For all other payments, organization search for sponsors etc. If a client homeless person or have absolutely no financial sources they are accepted for free.
Evaluate. Evaluating process includes some points. The main aims are supposed at the beginning of the year. All workers are discussing in group and making aims’ and realizing ways for the whole year. In the end of the year they are discussing again about all activities and aims deciding which of them was done and if it’s effective, making conclusions and abilities to change something. Evaluate is making after and in-between every done project, program or activities. That is doing by workers and by experts from “outside” (from another agencies, municipality or abroad). Evaluate is also making once a month to follow the efficiency of project, program or activity.
I think this program sounds fantastic. It sounds like a really positive and rehabilitating experience for these clients. I think that its religious focus is very beneficial for the clients that choose to participate in it. While I realize the United States do have programs like this, I do think we, as a culture, are more hesitant to have such boldly religion-based programs. I think that is too bad, as studies have shown that a person's religion can be a huge strength for their recovery and rehabilitation. While I think our programs have realized this, they often only encourage clients to engage in their religion on their own, as opposed to having agencies that subscribe openly to a religion. While I don't think that's bad, I do think that it is much more supportive and beneficial for people to receive treatment from and with others that share their beliefs. When people are simply told to pursue their own beliefs it can give clients the feeling that they are "going it alone" as opposed to receiving support from others.
I agree with you about religion influence (or it may be said "power" ) for those people. I think that religion may be a very powerfull background for those who want to change their lifes fundameltally, when thay have no hope or feel lost.
This is an interesting program. I really like the multi-faceted nature of it, as well as the depth of care for its members. My biggest concern is that religion may turn some people off of "Teen Challenge".
This program appears to be a beneficial resource for this population. I like that the program really guides a person through all the stages of the rehabilitation process. I was curious if there was a certain amount of time that a person was allowed to participate in the program. Here in the US, many rehabilitation programs have time constraints for one reason or another. I was thinking that this discussion about incorporating 'faith' into the rehabilitation process is an interesting and hotly debated topic. I briefly looked up Teen Challenge in the US and it appears to be a thriving program. I agree with Bethany that religion and faith can be such a powerful influence on a person's substance abuse or mental health rehabilitation. AA, NA, PA etc. all prescribe to a 'higher power' and programs like this appear to be ever growing. I am Athiest, but I do not doubt the functionality of religion and the comforting impact that faith can have on a person. I think most people in America are cautious about how they engage/participate in their faith. And of course the 'radical' religious/faith organizations (and also those that are non-judeochristian) experience much more stigma by American society. This may not be so in other countries. So, does Teen Challenge receive resistance? Is the program seen as 'radical' for being faith-based?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete“Teen Challenge” in Lithuania started in Kaunas city in the year 1996. A group of single-minded people from Kaunas Christian Church began ministry of hopeless women, which were released from prison, alcohol and drug abusers, homeless women etc. Little by little ministry grew up, more and more people were convinced that there is hope and the only one reason for that was God’s love found in Jesus. Individuals whom life were rebuild from ruins, became evident testimony of Jesus’ love a healing power. In the year 2000 this organization were registered officially.
ReplyDeleteAt the very beginning they had no methods and means to work with and use them and organize therapies. As they wanted to conduct high-level and professional help, so they started to search for agencies and specialists with experience and more knowledge. Thereby, in 2000 year they found contacts of the well – known American Organization “Teen Challenge”, which had aim to help drug abusers.
As time passed by, “Teen Challenge” ministry expanded into the largest ministry in Lithuania to drug addicts, prisoners, street kids and women; and those who were exposed to violence in their own families, to people, whose lives seems hopeless. Lots of brochures and books were published, methods developed by Teen Challenge and spread among youth. This literature is used in trainings and tutorials during the work with clients (they are called as “students”).
Those trainings include some psychological therapies and trainings of personality growth. They are taught to search for their good and bad sides and work on them, to be able to change something in character and accept themselves as they are.
Today “Teen Challenge” Lithuania unifies:
• 2 men’s rehabilitation centers
• Women’s rehabilitation centre
• 2 kids day care centers
• Reintegration to society house
• Prison ministries
• “Turning point” ministries
• Church ministry
• Mission ministries
• Sunday school ministries
The agency’s mission: "Teen Challenge" Lithuania is a non-profit organization whose objective is to help those who stumbled and cannot get up by themselves. Usually these people are socially broken and outcasts of society, therefore it is very important to offer them a helping hand. When they recover and change their life styles, they become new people who want to help others, to pay state taxes so that life would be better, who want that the world we live in would become brighter. These people come into bloom like wonderful flowers of God which can be grown on the muck of the past life.
ReplyDeleteServices and its’ types of providing: Program concludes of three steps.
ReplyDeleteStep 1. A program of motivation “Posūkio taškas” (“Point of turning”). Its’ aim is to stimulate a person for rehabilitation. Our workers and volunteers go to places where some kind of socially broken people (homeless, drugs abusers and so on) lives or crowds, and try to motivate them for better choice of life. That is doing by talking with groups of social risks people, they’re invited to go to day center, group counseling and lectures. All is doing in self-help groups. This motivation program is also in prison.
Step 2. Rehabilitation of persons who are motivated to become a full value members of society by learning them to live in a community and to be socially active. And there are three stages of rehabilitation process.
Stage 1. Meeting each other. The aim is to know yourself better, to learn how to communicate with another persons (longs 3 months).
Main things in this stage:
• Get to know community, yourself and each other;
• Get to know your strengths and weaknesses;
• Get to know your problem;
• Find out your values, worth, keep an eye on your habits which needs to be changed;
• Issues and ways to solve it;
• Learning to collaborate;
• To get differences by destructive and constructive things.
Stage 2. Forming yourself. The aim is to get more stable inside (longs 3 months).
Main things in this stage:
• Stressing results which are done;
• Stressing things which are reached;
• Evaluating yourself;
• Learning to be tolerant;
• Renewing communication with parents, children, friends and so on.
Stage 3. Return. The aim is to get more independent.
Main things:
• To get ready for independent life;
• To get new vision of your life;
• Evaluating your possibility to live without help.
Step 3. Program of adaptation (socially adaptation). People live in “adaptation home” where they get help in self-care, home care and so on, but now they are doing everything by themselves and help is taking only if they are not able to do something. Some kinds of help could be consulting, finding information, children care, paying bills, communicating, etc.
Funding sources that support the agency: Mostly, financial support comes from the projects’ money, business organizations with own profit and single persons who help by their own will and it can be money or other accommodation means. Clients themselves should also pay (half of the prices or sometimes even less) for their rehabilitation and accommodation. For all other payments, organization search for sponsors etc. If a client homeless person or have absolutely no financial sources they are accepted for free.
ReplyDeleteEvaluate. Evaluating process includes some points. The main aims are supposed at the beginning of the year. All workers are discussing in group and making aims’ and realizing ways for the whole year. In the end of the year they are discussing again about all activities and aims deciding which of them was done and if it’s effective, making conclusions and abilities to change something.
ReplyDeleteEvaluate is making after and in-between every done project, program or activities. That is doing by workers and by experts from “outside” (from another agencies, municipality or abroad).
Evaluate is also making once a month to follow the efficiency of project, program or activity.
I think this program sounds fantastic. It sounds like a really positive and rehabilitating experience for these clients. I think that its religious focus is very beneficial for the clients that choose to participate in it. While I realize the United States do have programs like this, I do think we, as a culture, are more hesitant to have such boldly religion-based programs. I think that is too bad, as studies have shown that a person's religion can be a huge strength for their recovery and rehabilitation. While I think our programs have realized this, they often only encourage clients to engage in their religion on their own, as opposed to having agencies that subscribe openly to a religion. While I don't think that's bad, I do think that it is much more supportive and beneficial for people to receive treatment from and with others that share their beliefs. When people are simply told to pursue their own beliefs it can give clients the feeling that they are "going it alone" as opposed to receiving support from others.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about religion influence (or it may be said "power" ) for those people. I think that religion may be a very powerfull background for those who want to change their lifes fundameltally, when thay have no hope or feel lost.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting program. I really like the multi-faceted nature of it, as well as the depth of care for its members. My biggest concern is that religion may turn some people off of "Teen Challenge".
ReplyDeleteThis program appears to be a beneficial resource for this population. I like that the program really guides a person through all the stages of the rehabilitation process. I was curious if there was a certain amount of time that a person was allowed to participate in the program. Here in the US, many rehabilitation programs have time constraints for one reason or another.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking that this discussion about incorporating 'faith' into the rehabilitation process is an interesting and hotly debated topic. I briefly looked up Teen Challenge in the US and it appears to be a thriving program. I agree with Bethany that religion and faith can be such a powerful influence on a person's substance abuse or mental health rehabilitation. AA, NA, PA etc. all prescribe to a 'higher power' and programs like this appear to be ever growing. I am Athiest, but I do not doubt the functionality of religion and the comforting impact that faith can have on a person. I think most people in America are cautious about how they engage/participate in their faith. And of course the 'radical' religious/faith organizations (and also those that are non-judeochristian) experience much more stigma by American society. This may not be so in other countries. So, does Teen Challenge receive resistance? Is the program seen as 'radical' for being faith-based?