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  Helping to Bridge the Gap Between the Faith Based Community and People in Recovery

PREP Mission: To create a community-based network that will bring hope and healing to families and individuals who are in bondage from addiction and/or mental health concerns.


MOMSTELL Partnership Program: Sponsored by a grant from the Behavioral Health Alliance of Rural Pennsylvania (BHARP )

After realizing the gap between the recovery and faith based community, MOMSTELL, Clear Concepts and a  local pastor collaborated  together to form, the Pastoral Recovery Education Program (PREP).  The PREP program is designed to provide education, resources and opportunities for faith leaders and other interested community members to interact with those impacted by substance abuse/mental health.    
The Central Pennsylvania Life Recovery Ministry emerged from the PREP program and is still active today.  The program is supported by the Behavioral Health Alliance of Rural Pennsylvania (BHARP) and has been in operation since September 2011.  The program is foundationally based on the core competencies published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in 2004 as the Core Competencies for Clergy and Other Pastoral Ministers in Addressing Alcohol and Drug Dependence and the Impact on Family Members.  

The Goals of the program are to:

  • Develop capacity within the faith based and recovery community to support recovery and promote wellness in those with addiction, mental health disorders and their family members.  
  • Help members of the faith based community to recognize the problem of substance abuse and mental health in their congregations and community through education, resource sharing and networking.  
  • Stress the importance of spirituality and religion in substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery and that the faith based community is the best entity in which to meet those needs.
  • Provide persons with substance abuse and/or mental health with the context and coherence of a caring social community where recovery is promoted. 
  • Develop a ministry to provide comfort, purpose and hope to those who are suffering with addiction and/or mental health issues.
  • Reduce the burden of shame, guilt and bereavement while providing support for families of individuals with substance abuse/mental health diagnosis.

Over the past few years, many training opportunities have been provided.

  •  Drug and Alcohol Dependency and the Impact on Family Members.
  • “Understanding the Impact of Addiction for Clergy” with almost 100 attendees from across the Commonwealth.
  •  Other trainings, public media:
    • “Synthetic Drugs” and the “Highway to Heroin.”  
    •  Public Service Announcements: On local radio stations, newspapers and in local establishments. 
    •  In addition, members of the group went to local ministries, churches and schools to talk about the program.

*Resources shared in this program came from the following sources:

  • SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
  • DDAP (Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs)
  • Stephens Ministry (Mentoring Resources)
  • NACA (National Association of Children of Alcoholics)
  • NIDA (National Institute for Drug Abuse)