In times of need
It’s often said that The Salvation Army has a ministry of ‘presence’ - of being there in times of need. When Blacktown salvationists identified a need to support graduates of The Salvation Army’s award-winning Bridge Program for addiction, the Blacktown Rehabilitation After Care Service (BRACS) was born. In 2003 Bob Rogan was employed to get the service up and running. BRACS supplied accommodation and personalised case management for people re-entering the community after going through rehabilitation. In 2003, there was no support for sufferers of marijuana addiction anywhere in the western suburbs. Bob established a marijuana cessation program called “Beat the Bong”, a five-week educational program to help participants deal with the detoxification process and life skills to help them live without their addiction. That program became so successful that a 12-step support group was set up that still continues, twice weekly. Along the way, BRACS became a provider of The Salvation Army’s “Positive Lifestyle Program” for those leaving incarceration or awaiting trial, and still liaises with the local Probation and Parole authorities. Bob has always envisioned an out-patients service for recovering alcoholics and addicts in this area, and is currently studying to achieve the credentials to establish this. Bob says: “There are so many in our area who have no opportunity to even go to a short term rehab let alone the many months needed for The Salvation Army’s William Booth House. Currently BRACS also provides a Christian Counselling Service for anyone suffering from grief, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and for couple and family therapy.”
As well as BRACS, The Salvation Army in Blacktown offers support to the local community through welfare emergency assistance, Employment Plus, and The Salvation Army’s Youthlink service in Blacktown which offers a specialist service providing early intervention intensive case-management and vocational training programs for disadvantaged and at-risk youth. Youthlink programs in Blacktown include: ‘Reconnect Blacktown’ which aims to prevent family breakdown and homelessness; Cafe Horizons at St Marys, a vocational training cafe with feeder schools from the Blacktown area; and outdoor adventure and recreation programs.