The facility utilizes evidence-based programming in its offer of services to individuals struggling with drugs and alcohol addictions including alcohol, Marijuana, Khat, tobacco, mugoka, prescriptive drugs, heroin, cocaine among others and behavioral addictions including but not limited to sex, masturbation, gambling, betting, pornography and technology. Concurring disorders like depression and psychosis are also addressed.
The program offering includes: screening and assessment, deworming, counselling, coaching and mentorship, chaplaincy, psychoeducation, detox, medical occupational and nutrition therapies. The program takes a minimum of three months which utilizes a Bio-psycho-social –spiritual approach with three distinct phases in each month (Phase One: Entry, Self and Acceptance; Phase Two: Stabilization and Personal Responsibility; Phase Three: Growth and Reintegration. At the end of the residential period, the residents have a grand opportunity of developing into accomplished certified mentors and community change agents.
MRH recovery program is a multifaceted program that responds to varied challenges of persons struggling with Addictions. Persons struggling with dependency issues may have an especially difficult time reaching out for help because of a fear of judgment or rejection. However, MRH-Machakos help residents feel supported and privileged as they progress through recovery. MRH recovery program design is conceptualized through the Biblical story of the prodigal son who had to retrace his way back home (Luke 15: 11-32) and the residents hold animated sessions guided by ‘The Way Home’ guidebook. Our staff and residents foster a caring and accepting environment through the therapeutic community system and the Steps of Recovery where residents open up about their experiences with one another. More advantages of MRH residential program include:
- Staff who understand the unique problems persons with addiction face
- Solidarity among patients with similar experiences
- Connections that last long after treatment ends
Each of our patients receives a combination of services tailored to their needs. MRH treatment/recovery model is a blended model that includes:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT teaches recovering addicts to find connections between their thoughts, feelings and actions and increase awareness of how these things impact recovery. Helping recovering addicts to relate their thinking with behavioral consequences is useful in recovery. Alongside addiction, CBT also treats co-occurring disorders including Anxiety; Bipolar Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Solution Focused and Narrative Therapies: Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a short-term, brief therapy approach commonly used by MRH practitioners to build on client’s strengths, enhances positive feelings, instills hope, and is highly congruent within positive psychology. SFBT is included in the Substance Abuse Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA’s) National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. Activating resources at the onset of the conversation is critical and the time taken to explore these details is crucial in helping build client engagement.
Transactional Analysis model: MRH practitioners utilizes TA in examining their clients, their relationships with others and how they interconnect and interact. In TA, each person possesses three ego states – The Parent, The Child and The Adult. An individual will assume one of these roles in any “transaction” with another person or even within the context of an internal conversation. MRH practitioners help clients strengthen their Adult ego state subsequently taking more responsibility for events taking place in his/her life, as well as during treatment, and improving relationships with significant others.
Therapeutic Community (TC) Model: Therapeutic Community (TC) is a group based, highly structured and powerful treatment approach to addiction recovery used by MRH in helping participants change their destructive attitudes, behaviors, values, and lifestyles through mutual support. Participants are encouraged to examine their personal behavior to help them become more pro-social and to engage in “right living”—considered to be based on honesty, taking responsibility, hard work, and willingness to learn.
Motivational Interviewing (MI): MRH practitioners uses MI to facilitate the process of getting ready to change by overcoming ambivalence or a fear of change, increasing the client’s own motivation. The main point of MI is overcoming the internal battle over whether one really wants to quit or not. Once clients overcome denial and come to their own conclusions about the pros and cons of drug abuse, their desire to change, what that change looks like, and how they want to implement that change, it becomes a lot easier for that change to take place.
Relapse Prevention: Recovery is often challenging, and relapse is common, but many people successfully resume recovery after a relapse. A lapse or relapse does not have to derail your efforts to recover. MRH therapists helps clients develop specific plans that helps them avoid triggers and cope with them when it’s not possible to avoid them.
Family Conjoint Therapies: Alcohol and other substances of abuse impacts negatively on everyone in the family and hence they need support too alongside the family member going through treatment. Family are required to attend a minimum of three family conjoint sessions during the treatment period. Family services include but not limited to psychoeducation, family support groups, family mediation and evaluation sessions. Families are assisted to set healthy boundaries, improve communication, rebuild trust and start their own recovery process.
Medically Assisted Treatment: It is the use of anti-craving medicine such as naltrexone (Vivitrol), buprenorphine (Suboxone) or methadone — along with comprehensive therapy and support — to help address issues related to opioid dependence, including withdrawal, cravings and relapse prevention. MRH has a team of physicians who administer the much needed treatment for those requiring detox.
Mentorship: Addiction recovery requires an understanding encourager. MRH has a formalized mentorship programme where those already working on them programme determinedly assist those that are struggling with ambivalence and behavior change are assisted to still continue working the program. The mentors graduate as mentors and are awarded certificates for mentorship at discharge.
Life Skills Empowerment: People get into addiction due to deficiency of life skills. A large part of treatment at MRH entails equipping the persons in recovery with life skills. Examples of life skills taught include:
- Asking for Help and Reaching Out
- Developing Healthy Coping Mechanisms
- Taking Personal Responsibility
- Developing a Routine
- Practicing Good Self-Care
- Taking Control of One’s Health
- Learning How to Rest and Relax
- Managing Stress and Emotions in a Healthy Way
- Communicating with Others
- Finding a Job
- Managing Finances
- Avoiding High-Risk Environments
- Maintaining Healthy, Supportive Relationships
- Personal contentment
- Living Your Life One Day at a Time
Chaplaincy Services: Persons struggling with addictions experience major disconnection with self, others, important aspects of life and their spirituality. Substance dependence is a systematic deconstruction of the personality characterized by lack of meaning and purpose, loss of faith, guilt, sense of futility, emptiness and estrangement with self, others, important aspects of life and God. MRH chaplaincy services address the spiritual and mental health dilemmas and concerns of persons in recovery thus recharging one’s spiritual resources.
Talent Nurturing: Persons in recovery have resources that are untapped or unveiled due to drugs and alcohol dependency issues. MRH program nurtures these talents by giving opportunities to those in recovery to utilize them. These include singing, design work, mentorship, leadership, sporting activities, dancing, public speaking, book keeping, professional skills, writing, research, art and drawing, teaching and training, time management, IT, routine tasks, detail orientation, storytelling, photography among others. Nurturing such talents enhances their self-worth and self-confidence.
One month before the discharge, the residents are adequately prepared for termination and reintegration. At the point of discharge, the program reconnects the clients to relevant supports like family, church, local administration or workplace. After one finishes treatment, they become part of MRH alumni community. MRH network of former patients participates in community events and provides support to each other and those within their communities.
We welcome any man struggling with addiction to reach out to us. Let us give you the environment you need to recover safely with dignity.
“And Jesus looking upon them said, with men it is impossible but NOT with God, for with God all things are possible.” (Mark 10: 27)