Toms River Catholic Churches hosting substance use recovery workshops
September is National Recovery Month.
It's a time to become educated and in many circles find help for a loved one or yourself if you're struggling with the disease of substance use disorder or another affliction and are trying to take that step forward towards and ultimately find recovery.
The Roman Catholic Churches of Toms River (RCCTR), a cohort of the four Catholic churches in Toms River, (St. Justin the Martyr Parish, St. Luke's Parish, St. Joseph's Parish and St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish), through the Diocese of Trenton built of volunteers within the community. are holding a series of events and workshops coming up to educate, spread awareness and ultimately help everyone find recovery.
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The RCCTR issued a statement announcing the upcoming workshops will all be held at St. Luke's Parish at 1674 Old Freehold Road beginning on Sunday September 12 and running for six sessions with doors opening at 4:00 pm for resource gathering from the organization tables on site and sessions beginning at 5:00 pm.
Each session will last about 90-minutes and all are welcome.
There will also be a mass said on the 23rd of September by Fr. Edward Reading, Ph.D., LCADC, CCS, who is from the Matt Talbot lnstitute in Toms River and part of the Addiction Studies Faculty at Ocean County College.
Fr. Ed will lead the discussions at the workshops and will introduce all the professionals, treatment agencies and organizations from the area that will be on site to help find recovery and answer any questions you may have as well.
• Sunday, September 12: An Introduction to Addictive Science. "This session will kick off the series with a detailed overview of scientific explanations in easy-to-understand language."
• Sunday, September 19: Dynamics of the Chemically Dependent Family. "This session will describe the dynamics and roles within families where substance abuse and addiction are part of the daily lives of those involved."
• Thursday, September 23: The Matt and Max Memorial Mass "will honor those who have died from addiction during the past two years. The Venerable Matt Talbot (Patron of Alcoholics) and Saint Maximilian Kolbe (Patron of the Drug Addicted) will be memorialized during the liturgy. All are invited to attend and bring photos of their deceased loved ones, which will be displayed during the Mass at 6:30pm."
• Sunday, September 26: Stages and Patterns of Adolescent Substance Abuse. "This session will be primarily for parents and young adults."
• Sunday, October 3: Substance Abuse among Military Veterans "will begin with a DVD presentation followed by a discussion. Members of the American Legion and disabled American Veterans are invited to attend as well."
• Sunday, October 10: How to Become an Addiction Professional. "This session will discuss how to become a specialized provider, including information about courses available at Ocean County College to become a Certified and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor. Additional topics covered will include Medicine, Nursing, and other mental health professions."