Addiction recovery ministry of fers online program
An addiction recovery ministry has launched a new online program in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lance Lang, founder of Hope is Alive Ministries (HIA), said the ministry model was tweaked to provide help for people who need “post quarantine” aid.
He said Hope is Alive provides Mentoring Homes for addicted individuals trying to transition back into society from treatment centers, correctional facilities and poor life choices. More than 180 people are participating in the program at 19 Mentoring Homes in Oklahoma City; Tulsa; Weatherford; Wichita, Kansas; Morehead City, North Carolina; and Overland Park, Kansas. The ministry also offers Finding Hope support groups for loved ones of addicts.
Lang said much like the program at the Mentoring Homes, the new HIA Online is a six-month program that offers full-time “program guides” to walk with each participant. The guides will meet weekly with each participant, outlining their objectives, lead twice weekly group meetings, facilitate drug-testing and life skill classes, among other things. He said HIA Online is completely facilitated in the evenings so individuals who work can still fully participate.
Lang said the program is specifically designed for anyone struggling with addiction, anyone seeking a life of sobriety, anyone working to overcome codependency struggles or individuals struggling with sex, gaming or gambling addictions. And because it is online, the program can help people not just in Oklahoma but individuals in other parts of the country.
He said he and other ministry leaders realized that the quarantine was particularly difficult for people fighting addiction or who were overwhelmed with the pressures that came with the temporary shutdown. “We're seeing a lot of folks who picked up poor habits. I think like everybody they needed connection,” Lang said.
He said lack of employment, fear of the unknown and a general sense of pressure may have led to substance abuse or other addiction issues for some individuals. “People are coming out of the quarantine, and they are struggling,” he said.
Lang said the first HIA Online group is set to start Aug. 4.
For more information or to apply to join the program, go to www.HopeisAlive.net/online.