SEMI ARC Program Highlights
The Southeast Michigan Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation program is a six (6) month residential rehabilitation program that provides services in the area of substance addiction. The spiritually based work therapy program affords the men the opportunity for recovery within a Christian atmosphere, offering friendship, encouragement and spiritual motivation, a compulsion to help the men as an expression of Divine Love. The ultimate aim of rehabilitation is the re-entry of beneficiaries into society as functional and productive citizens.
Other services provided include, Individual & Group Counseling, Christian education & Guidance, Chemical Dependency Education, Domestic Violence Intervention Program, Relapse Prevention Education, Anger Management Education, Bible Study, and Community Re-Entry/ Outreach Program.
The Five Level Program provides a comprehensive holistic service that meets the physical, social & spiritual regeneration of men with substance abuse problems.
Interactive journals are the framework of the program. The journals provide organization & structure to the program that help beneficiaries stay focused on important issues of their life and develop a personal plan for success.
Beneficiaries are assigned journals for each level. Each level is measured by completion of specific goals and objectives. Advancement to the next level will depend on completion of all requirements of the beneficiary’s current level.
The overall result of our program delivery is gratifying. From October 2008 through October 2009, a total of 180 Beneficiaries were rehabilitated from chemical dependency, providing hope and compassion to the less fortunate substance abusers in our community. The 180 beneficiaries who successfully completed the 180 days program translate into 32,400 days of freedom from substance abuse.
The growing of our program is gaining in both public awareness within other service providers throughout the metropolitan area, as indicated by the increasing number of referrals from other agencies.
The current scale of the program is impressive. Equally important is the quality care offered to each beneficiary. Every beneficiary admitted to our program receives a continuing supportive social services and referrals through the office of the Post Completion Counselor.
Admission to the program is Monday-Friday, 8:00 to 11:30 AM. Applicants must have a current Michigan State ID or Driver's License & a social security card.
Transitional Housing
The 'Step Up' Program is offered to men recovering from chemical dependency in support of their desire and willingness to stay clean and sober.
All men seeking admission to the program must have maintained, at least, 180 days abstinence from all mind/mood altering substances.
Who Is Eligible?
Every potential participant undergoes a comprehensive intake interview to ensure the ARC program is the best possible match for them. If the interview process determines it’s not, we’ll make every effort to refer them to a program that will be.
A long-term commitment of at least six months is required so patterns of poor decision-making can be broken and replaced with positive life choices – changes that will help them become productive citizens of their community.
Applicants* with a desire to get help may be referred by families, friends, courts, clergy and community leaders or may simply call the Intake Office at 313.965.7760 to make an appointment.
Victory Garden
This summer, seeds of hope have taken root, enhancing the path to recovery in ways both symbolic and tangible at The Salvation Army Southeast Michigan Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC). On a 20’ x 20’ plot atop a sunny hill just outside of the ARC is a neatly tended vegetable garden. Quite remarkable in contrast to its surroundings, it is a bit amazing to take in the thriving garden against a backdrop of truck bays and busy downtown traffic.
The garden has proven to be a source of both therapy and education for the men at the ARC who tilled, and now tend it. Although planning began while snow was still on the ground, the real work began in late April. The site which had never before been anything more than a field filled with hard dirt and rocks, best suited for only the hardiest of weeds, needed extensive preparation. Under the supervision of Tim Hunt, a former ARC graduate, the plot was staked out, tilled, and then tilled again. The soil was enriched with organic manure, mixed with topsoil. An experienced gardener, Tim brought knowledge - and patience in his work kit. The first Saturday morning which he volunteered to the project attracted a small rooting section of associates from his ‘real’ job along with a couple of relatives, but the expected co-volunteers had to be scouted down. Undaunted, Tim pressed on and was eventually assisted by those initially curious who turned into helpers. Weeding and watering assistants have since fallen into place. Tim oversees the project daily and still fills in the gaps, making sure that the garden gets the steadfast attention which it requires.
The accompanying photos show the beginning (and progression) of what has become a weekly harvest of collard greens, green onions, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers. The food will be used through the ARC kitchen to help in providing the over 675,000 meals it produces annually as well as a lesson in perseverance. The food will enrich the bodies as the program enriches the lives.
Seeds of hope, long recognized as an essential element of the process of establishing lives free from the bonds of alcohol and chemical dependency, are cultivated daily at the ARC. The 6-month program enriches those enrolled in it through counseling (approximately 120,000 sessions annually) and Worship / Christian Education (130,000 contacts annually). The seeds sown in the ARC garden are an outward sign of the healthy growth taking place in the men in residence at this amazing place called the ARC, where the real victory is in the lives reclaimed from ruin, now redirected to productive and healthy goals. This tangible symbol of hope presents itself as reminder of the daily commitment made by the men in the program who persevere, victorious in their recovery.
Drug Court
May 15th, 2009 was a special day at the ARC as the Wayne County Adult Drug Treatment Court marked the successful completion by 42 participants of its program. Designed to give non-felony drug offenders a second chance, the 24 month program when successfully completed, expunges the related criminal record allowing the participants to go forward with a clean slate, opening opportunities otherwise lost. The graduation ceremony, held in the ARC Chapel, started with a welcome by Zene Frances Fogel-Gibson who introduced speakers Hon. Timothy M. Kenney and Mr. Cory Williams, who delivered the keynote address. Mr. Williams shared his inspiring storey of how he made the most of his own second chance. His ultimate graduation from law school was a path made possible in no small part by the fact that his offenses had been expunged through his completion of the Drug Court Program.
Graduation certificates were awarded to the 42 participants, 6 of whom were also graduates of the ARC program. Judge Kenney, Judge McCree and Judge Robbins presented the certificates and reflected upon the trials, tribulations and ultimate successes of the individual graduates who had completed the program through their courts. Many friends and family members were in attendance to mark the success and show their continued support. Of special interest to all was the dynamic musical presentation by Michael Brock, a previous graduate of the Salvation Army’s ARC Program, with his song ‘My God’ (take off of the song ‘My Guy’).
Following the ceremony a celebration luncheon for all in attendance was held at the ARC cafeteria which had been decorated for the occasion. Great food and fellowship were enjoyed as the graduates and their families looked forward to a brighter future, newly opened to them.