Samhjalp Foundation
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Welcome to Samhjalp's Web Site!
Samhjalp is a Christian non-profit organization operating a treatment facility for alcoholics and drug abusers in Iceland. Founded in 1973, the organization is based on a Swedish model, the world-famous Lewi Pethrus Foundation. Our ministry is an integral part of the Filadelfia Pentecostal Church in Reykjavik, although distinctive in government and practice. The director, Mr Oli Agustsson, has been in office for 20 years and so have many of our devoted personnel!
For more than two decades Samhjalp has successfully helped chemically dependent people and their families find renewed health and happiness through recovery based on Christian faith, values, and living. Our treatment programme is part of Iceland National Health Service. Many of our activities are funded by contributions. Without support from concerned individuals we would not be able to reach and help the many people who come to Samhjalp for care each year. We need your prayers and financial support for our continued service.
Our facility
Since 1973 Samhjalp Foundation has increased in numbers and influence and is currently offering a wide range of social, medical and other community services. Our facilities include a chemical dependency rehabilitation centre, a contact centre by the name of The Three Taverns, combining an assembly hall for worship, an outpatient department, a convalescent home, café, a food distribution programme, and The Shelter, accommodation for homeless alcoholics in cooperation with Reykjavik City Council. Committed to sharing the Gospel of Christ, we also operate a publishing house providing recovery material e.g. books, recordings, and a quarterly periodical.
Our chemical dependency rehabilitation centre was founded in 1974. It is in a nonhospital residential setting providing professional treatment for 30 persons. The first step in the treatment is detoxification. The method of detoxification is administering a substitute drug and gradually decreasing the dose until the patient's withdrawal symptoms have subsided. The actual treatment period starts when the substitute drug has also been removed and the person is drug free. Detoxification usually lasts a fortnight.
Individual and group counselling is a vital component of the treatment programme at our centre combining a highly confrontive style of therapy. The residents follow certain rules and discipline. All residents adhere to a daily schedule which includes group therapy, lectures, meditation and devotions. Our curriculum includes some general alcholism studies such as warning sign management, and biblically-based group studies written by our personnel. The courses include titles such as "Alcoholism and the Bible", "Commitment", and "Recovery". The treatment duration at the centre varies depending upon the severity of the addictive disease and the level of health and social problems. The pretreatment period takes no less than 6 weeks whereas the stabilization period may last up to 6 months.
One of the great tragedies in the field of alcoholism treatment is the fact that many alcoholics get well for a time and then return to drinking. In our treatment programme we place emphasis on the needs of relapse prone individuals. In recent years, relapse preventing principles have become a basic part of our treatment programme. We feel that Samhjalp has a moral obligation to give its best effort to help the sickest of the sick among the ranks of alcoholics. Most of the people who come within our care have experienced everything that alcoholism counselling and traditional psychotherapy has to offer.
In our treatment programme emphasis is put on the fundamentals of Christian faith. However, we hasten to add that we do not put the accent on dogma or theology, but on concrete obedience to God's inspiration in daily life. We believe that unless the relapse prone can experience an entire psychic change there is very little hope of their recovery. Their last remaining hope lies in a conversion experience, a new vision to religious faith. Our aim is to challenge them to embrace Christian faith and dedicate their lives with the person of Christ.
At The Three Taverns, our efficient contact centre, hundreds of people receive counselling and spiritual guidance from Samhjalp's personnel each year. Attendance has reached up to as much as 25.000 annually! Our effort at the centre is to create a framework that challenges people to reach their fullest potential Spiritually, Socially, Educationally, and Occupationally. The name of the centre derives from the Bible, Acts 28:15, the account of Paul the Apostle going to Rome:
- And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came
to meet us as far as The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked
God, and took courage.
The Three Taverns consists of assembly hall for worship providing weekly services on Sundays at 4pm. Approximately 100 people attend the meetings regularly participating in singing, psalms and choruses, as a means of contemplation and worship. A biblical meditation is part of the programme and influential testimonies of recovering alcoholics.
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