Christian Rehabs

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Christian Rehabs can make a huge difference in the life of residents in need. Here is an in-depth overview of two of the most well-known options.

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Teen Challenge

Teen Challenge is funded by Housing Benefit so anyone you refer to them has to be eligible.

Teen Challenge is a Christian abstinence based rehabilitation for people with drug and/or alcohol addiction. You do not have to be a Christian to be a part of this program, but residents will be expected to participate in all the program’s activities.

Application Process

The application process can take a few weeks as the program is oversubscribed (normally with an 8-12 week waiting list). It has four stages:

Fill in the application form.
Interview
Medical form is filled in and then approved by resident’s GP
Then the resident needs to call every Monday and ask if a space in the program is available (they may well need help with this and encouragement to continue doing it)

More information on admissions is available by clicking here.

Compulsory activities include: classes on life skills like “managing anger” and “loving and accepting myself”, church on Sundays, communal meal times, work in the afternoons for the charity shop and personal study times.

The full program is 18 months long, but some people choose to leave earlier at 12 months.

The program rules include no smoking, no mobile phones and no internet. For the first 4 weeks of the program communication with friends and family is limited to written post only, after four weeks a communal phone is available in the evenings. After 8 weeks, visits to the centre can be arranged. Much later in the program, once residents have established control over their addiction, they will be allowed to leave on weekends to visit friends and family.

Timetable

Mornings: Classes on life skills
Afternoons: Work - each person on the program will have skills that they can use to help sustain Teen Challenge - e.g. if you are a handy man you might do maintenance on the house etc.
Evenings: Personal Study and 1 hour free time.
Late evening: short time of prayer together.

Housing will be arranged when someone graduates from Teen Challenge or they could come back to your partnership (though this is not recommended).

Betel

Betel is a residential Christian drug and alcohol recovery community. Residents live and work in a safe, caring, extended-family environment, learning life, relationship and work skills free from addictive substances and behaviours. Betel’s method is a ‘peer led recovery’ model, meaning that those seeking help with addictions are helped through by those who have already successfully overcome the same kind of issues. Betel has enjoyed a great deal of success in transforming the lives of those trapped in long-term addiction. Betel UK was featured in the 2019 Parliamentary Review as an example of excellence in this field.

Betel’s recovery model is based on ‘total abstinence’ so no tobacco, vapes or alcohol are permitted.

Residents are expected to attend scheduled Christian services, meetings and devotionals.

They recommend that residents commit to staying for around 12 - 18 months, though they have an “easy entrance, easy exit” policy.

You can find more information on their website by clicking here.

Free time

Saturday and weekday evenings
Sunday: most centre’s have their own football and volleyball pitches. All centres are well equipped with recreational facilities including snooker, pool and table tennis. Residents also watch films and sport on the weekends.

Work

Residents are expected to work in Betel’s various charitable businesses to help pay for their own recovery. Longer serving residents lead and manage the various business areas so there is also an opportunity to develop team leadership and business management skills during your stay . The work areas include::

Landscape gardening;
Furniture restoration;
Betel furniture shops;
Delivery and collection of furniture;
House clearance
Cafe and catering events
Flyer distribution
Carol singing and fundraising events at Christmas.

Rules

All families and all workplaces have their rules. Betel is no exception.

Those wishing to enter the Betel community may do so free of charge, on the condition that they voluntarily stop using illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco and vapes etc.., and comply with the following rules:

Residents are to participate in the full schedule and activities of the community, keeping a structured day from 7 AM to 10;30 PM.
Smoking or the use of any tobacco product is not permitted
Personal money is to be deposited with the staff upon entry. Money not spent on personal needs will be returned upon departing the community.
Betel is free to enter – no one will be denied entrance due to lack of finances.
All residents are to be accompanied by another resident or staff member during their first few months.
Upon entrance, individuals are to inform Betel of their present state of health, particularly on any contagious diseases, and of all pending legal judgments. (Individuals with organic or psychological illnesses may be denied entrance if: the disease is actively contagious; if it requires specialized medical attention, or impedes the normal functioning of the community.)
The use or consumption of drug, alcohol or tobacco substitutes is not permitted.
Family visits are encouraged with residents during our regular scheduled public meetings. All other family visits outside regularly scheduled events require prior notification and permission.
New residents generally do not leave the premises for the first 14 days. (While everyone maintains the right to depart Betel for any reason at any moment.)
It is recommended that married couples who enter together be separated temporarily, into the single men’ and women’s communities, until the directors consider them prepared to reunite.
The possession of illegal drugs, alcohol or tobacco by a resident may result in expulsion from the community. Each resident retains the right to access appropriate provisions of the local health Authorities and Social Services.