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February 29, 2008

Faith-based program looks to lead addicts to recovery

By Michael A. Cummings

MICHAELC@CULLMANTIMES.COM

Todd Kilpatrick founded J-Positive, a faith-based support group for recovering addicts and their co-dependents, in 2003, hoping to relate his experience as a recovering meth amphetamine addict to those struggling with the drug.

Since then, Kilpatrick said the Monday night meetings at Emeus Baptist Church in Logan have grown to include 50 to 70 addicts and co-dependents.

“Every week we do something different,” Kilpatrick said of the meetings. “We have a different speaker (each week). We keep it broke up.”

On Monday at 6:30 p.m., Kilpatrick will try to convince local officials to help him take his message to the schools.

“One thing we’re trying to get started is I go into schools and speak,” said Kilpatrick. “We go into one class a time. Instead of the teacher teaching, I’ll talk to them.”

Kilpatrick said County schools have no regular program aimed at keeping local teens off drugs.

“We don’t have any program in our high schools to keep kids off drugs,” Kilpatrick said, adding schools periodically invite him to talk to students. “It’s something that really needs to be pushed, something that really needs to happen because we have a real problem. It’s unreal what’s going on in our schools.”

Kilpatrick said the J-Positive program needs funding to continue to reach out to schools. To get his funding, Kilpatrick has enlisted the help of District Judge Kim J. Chaney, Monday’s guest speaker, who said he regularly addresses teens at Emeus.

“What I do is I go over there and work with them and encourage them to make good decisions,” Chaney said. “I tell them about some of the people I’ve seen, some of the things I’ve seen to help them in their recovery.”

Chaney said he often gives some drug offenders the option of attending to J-Positive as a condition of sentencing, staying out of jail, or posting bond. He said the faith-based program can be effective in some cases.

“Statistics show Christian-based programs are very effective for those who believe,” Chaney said.

Chaney added the success rate at any recovery program is proportional to the attendee’s level of commitment.

“It’s a personal decision,” he said. “Counseling will not benefit them unless they make their own commitment. The individual has to be ready to make a commitment to the program.”

For more information about J-Positive, visit Emeus Baptist Church’s website at http://www.emeusbaptistchurch.com.

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