This past week a number of HIFers and many local drug rehab centers engaged in a Celebrate Recovery workshop. It was well attended by both locals and expats and it was exciting to see both local and international churches and communities engage with this well known 12-step recovery program. Jonathan Sherman, the Asia Director for Celebrate Recovery , shared how they run Celebrate Recovery in the USA and in China, and how we could potentially apply their principles and techniques here in Vietnam. HIF will be launching our own 12-step group soon!
This event was the third and largest training HIF has hosted in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) office of the US Embassy over recent years for the purpose of building the capacity of the Christian faith-based rehabs. This time, SAMHSA recruited the help of Saddleback Church’s Celebrate Recovery program to introduce a Christian 12-step approach to recovery from various kinds of addictions. This program provides additional tools and content for the Christian rehab centers in guiding their students through their recovery journey.
In addition, Celebrate Recovery can be used by any church or group to provide an ongoing weekly support group for graduates from the rehab centers and for anyone struggling with hurt, pain or addiction. It is our hope that several Vietnamese groups will be launched in Hanoi and that Celebrate Recovery will spread nationwide. SAMHSA funded the travel expenses of the trainers as well as the translation of the course materials, which we hope to officially publish in the near future. HIF CityPartners contributed by sponsoring the simultaneous translation equipment and translators, as well as the meals and breaks.
