What started out with four men meeting for an addiction recovery support group has grown quickly to a recent attendance of 64 men, women and family members affected by addiction in one way or another. Paul Trovarello, along with Machias Christian Fellowship Pastor Aaron Dudley, is spearheading the formation of a faith‑based addiction recovery program for men.
     Trovarello says the need is great in Washington County. With a lease about to be signed for a house in Machias located at 11 Lincoln Street, the Arise Addiction Recovery center is slated to open in early January for between 12 and 14 men. They will live at the house and will "live, eat, pray, study and work together" 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
     The faith‑based addiction recovery model being used is closely following the Seven Oaks program run through Calvary Chapel in Bangor. Trovarello is program director of Arise Addiction Recovery and is deeply familiar with the methods used. He moved from New Jersey to attend the year‑long recovery program, which was followed by two years of working for the center. "God led me here," he says of the work he is starting on addiction recovery in Washington County.
     Trovarello calls is it spiritual boot camp. "They learn how to survive in the world" without drugs and alcohol. Seven Oaks uses a three‑phase approach to guide and develop men as students of faith through the recovery process. The first eight weeks are highly restrictive and prohibit the possession or use of information technology (IT) and other electronic devices. Personal study includes completion of a Biblical Foundations course and a daily work routine. Trovarello notes that the Arise Addiction Recovery center house at 11 Lincoln will be worked on by the men living there as a part of the routine.
     Phase two is for 16 weeks and includes a transition plan for phase three. The ban on IT and electronic devices continues. In addition, the student continues his Biblical study and the "application of God's word." Responsibilities increase, and leadership roles are developed as "the student demonstrates his ability to serve others effectively."
     The final 24‑week period of phase three is to have the student effectively transition into the community as an "honest, responsible, maturing man of God." This includes finding employment.
     The facility will be open to Washington County men, but Trovarello explains that sometimes it is helpful to enter into a recovery program elsewhere. He points to his own experience of leaving his home state in order to find success. As such, he expects to have reciprocal relationships with other faith‑based recovery programs in other states, where a man from New Jersey could attend the Machias facility, and a Washington County man could attend the New Jersey facility. "Calvary Chapel is worldwide and all around the country," he adds. "Every chapel knows of us." He knows of them and the resources available to those seeking a faith‑based addiction recovery program.
     While the Seven Oaks program wasn't originally a part of the state's Drug Court program, he explains that it makes sense for partnerships to develop when the right person comes along. As an example, he points to an inmate in the county jail who has expressed the desire to enter into the program when released, and he has been working with a Department of Health and Human Services representative to make it happen.
     While the Lincoln Street house will be for men only, the Machias Christian Fellowship Church holds Monday night addiction recovery meetings at 7 p.m. for women, run by Trovarello's wife Lindsay, and at the same time a support group for family members who are affected by the addiction of others.
     At the moment fundraising is occurring through special worship and collection offerings at churches in and out of the county. The group is "just starting to look at grants from the state." Trovarello was told by state officials that there might be small grants available for the type of faith‑based addiction recovery program he will be running. In addition a newsletter and website are being put together, and a Facebook page is up and running. For more information about the project, contact Trovarello at 856‑812‑7729. To learn about the Seven Oaks program, visit <https://secure17.nm‑secure.com/ccbangor/seven‑oaks>.