Addiction program discussed at Rotary

By Shantelle Breaux

CROWLEY – The guest speaker at Tuesday’s meeting of the Crowley Rotary Club was Gerard Morgan, assistant pastor at Northside Assembly of God in Crowley. He spoke about Crossing Over Ministries, a program organized by Northside which helps people who are struggling with addiction.

Crossing Over meets on Mondays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., but for those who need more help than can be provided in a once-a-week meeting, a referral to the Teen Challenge Program, a 14-month Biblically-based recovery program, may be in order.

“We take them and evaluate them,” said Morgan. “We reach out to the one’s we think are good candidates.”

After their evaluation and referral, the addicts are sent to various locations to complete the program.

According to Morgan, the program has a 93 percent success rate, and after the patients finish the program, with follow ups by program organizers, they are plugged back into Church and society. They are also monitored by their accountability partner, who is always someone objective and outside the patients home.

Not all are hardened criminals, stated Morgan, and, despite the name Teen Challenge, their is no age limit for the program. In fact, very few of the patients are teenagers, although a few 17-year-olds are admitted.

“We want the ones that everyone gave up hope on,” said Morgan.

In the program, patients work for a half-a-day, under supervision, and spend the other half working on their issues with group studies.

Northside Assembly refers about five to seven people per month to Teen Challenge, stated Morgan, but not all of them stay.

However, Morgan’s belief in the program is strong. “I know that we can make a difference,” he said.