Church's Addiction Recovery Program Brings Hope to Hundreds of Filipino Drug Surrenderers

The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (IDADAIT) , which is celebrated every June 27, aims to strengthen action and cooperation between concerned organizations in achieving the goal of a world free of drug abuse. 

This year’s observance will carry the theme “Addressing the Drug Challenges in Health and Humanitarian Crises,” and will continue to highlight the impact of drug use as a health issue that would lead to the deterioration of people’s well-being and worst of all, the loss of lives. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers the Addiction Recovery Program (ARP) to drug surrenderers in collaboration with local government units (LGU), organized under the direction of the local priesthood leaders of the Church. The program assists those who want to recover from addiction and provides support for family members and friends of those individuals who suffer from addictions. It includes the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, which have been modified, with permission, into a framework that incorporates the doctrines, principles, and beliefs of the Church. These principles can be found in the Addiction Recovery Program guide that can be downloaded in many languages.

The program is accredited by the Dangerous Drugs Board as one of the faith-based organizations serving drug surrenderers.

The goal of recovery support groups is to help individuals live in recovery and find peace and healing through Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Support group meetings are not run by professional counselors and are not considered treatment groups.

Those struggling with addiction or compulsive behaviors can attend a recovery support group to receive support, help, and fellowship from others in similar circumstances as well as from volunteer Church-service missionaries and facilitators. You can attend meetings in person or over the phone. 

Sister Mary Ann C. Balen, Family Services Manager from the Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Services said that this program started in 2017 with more than 600 participants and a total of 416 completers as to this date.

The ARP of the Church provides the following tools free of charge:

• Use of Church facility – as the venue of the recovery meetings
• Manuals – given to  each participant
• Volunteers – as facilitators or group leaders

“The Addiction Recovery Program partners with the government to provide after-care for those who completed the program through the help of Latter-day Saints Charities, the Church’s humanitarian arm. This includes livelihood, training, employment, health, etc.,” Sister Balen explained.

“We really believe that our body, mind, and spirit can be healed, cleansed, and transformed. We always give hope to those people who feel that they are hopeless through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and with the help of our Father in heaven,” she stated.

“For more information about this program, you may visit the Church’s Addiction Recovery website.