Finding a new direction
Faith-based rehab hopes to turn addicts 180 Degrees
By COLLEEN CREAMER
ccreamer@dnj.com, 278-5131
— Colleen Creamer 278-5131

A different kind of faith-based rehabilitation program in Murfreesboro is helping those addicted replace the bottle with the Bible and hoping to save drowning souls along the way.

Recently, 180 Degrees Ministries got an infusion of enthusiasm with the involvement of Steven Dotson, former partner in Greenvale Homes LLC, one of the largest developers in Rutherford County.

Dotson, who put his business ventures on hold, is helping chart a new business course for the ministry with new accounting and operations procedures and new ideas for marketing and fund-raising.

Organization president and founder Steve Austin, said, "The secular programs say, 'Once an addict, always an addict,'" referring to Alcoholics Anonymous and other programs that promote ongoing identification as an addict or an alcoholic.

And though Austin said he has no problem with AA personally, he believes that identifying each time as an addicted person damages that person's "core identity," which, he said, is not an addict.

"Whatever you believe at the core of who you are about who you are always determines what you think, which always determines how you behave," he said. "Behavior is just as symptom of a deeper problem."

Once an addict who spent years abusing, eventually going from alcohol to crack cocaine, Austin found that recreating himself into the man he believes God meant him to be was what transformed him.

"When people come to us, they have major identity crises going on in their lives, and I say this: 'The truth sets us free, and lies keep us in bondage,'" said Austin.

Freedom from addiction, Dotson noted, can be won in two weeks. The length of a stint in rehab varies, but is generally a month.

"That's what's amazing about this program," Dotson said. "When it started off, you know, the people would come to 180 and they would get counseled and they would send them off to these year-long programs."

Dotson said there was then often a period the person had to wait to get in during which they would continue on with 180 Ministries.

"By the time they got to these long-term program (staff and counselors) were saying, 'You do more in two weeks than we can do with them in a year,'" he added.

Though 180 Ministries still "struggles," Dotson said, the future looks bright as word of mouth is traveling.

"It's been a struggle for the last three years because it's a Christian ministry, and a lot of businesses say 'Oh, we don't give to faith-based religious organizations,'" Dotson said. "But if you took the Christianity out of it, it wouldn't be a program."

The program is scripturally based and does not, by design, encourage the use of antidepressants and other pharmaceutical drugs, but Dotson was quick to point out that there are those experienced with those issues available to make any necessary referrals.

"We have counselors that are licensed, and if they see that there is a need, then they will refer to a doctor," Dotson said.

Ninety percent of the staff is volunteer. Future plans include hiring full-time counselors, program managers and other staff, Dotson said. Counseling sessions — more than 2,000 this year — have been mostly free of charge.

For information on 180 Degrees Ministries, call 904-7180.

Originally published September 22, 2006