According to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, “substance use disorder is caused by multiple factors, including genetic vulnerability, environmental stressors, social pressures, individual personality characteristics, and psychiatric problems.” The biggest influence of these factors in any one person, cannot be determined in all cases. The commonality of people with addiction is that they lose control over their actions. Friendships and families may be damaged or destroyed, and jobs lost.
National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS) found that 50% of people twelve years and older have used illicit drugs at least once. Among Americans aged twelve years and older, 61.2 million people (or 21.9 percent of the population) used illicit drugs in 2021. Of those addicted that year, 94% did not receive treatment of any kind.
Addicts and their families may cite financial cost (lack of insurance), geographic location (distance to treatment centers), and stigma (family, friends, and employers finding out).
In addition to familiar recovery programs such as local AA Chapters, there are varied residential treatment centers across the country. Most come at a financial cost to the individual or families and are short term.
In 2015, Doctor Michael Ritchie learned at Grayling Hospital, 61% of infants born there were fetal drug or alcohol addicted at birth. Also at that time, Roscommon County ranked number one in child abuse per capita. Roscommon county still ranks sixth per capita in child abuse cases today. Dr. Ritchie, a pro-life advocate, was appalled and knew something had to be done to help the parents and change the trajectory to save the children. While he wasn’t sure how to bring this about, he knew he “didn’t want to reinvent the wheel.”
As a volunteer with the Roscommon Baptist Church, Dr. Ritchie learned of an organization called Mission Teens Discipleship Program. Mission Teens, Inc was founded in 1969, in New Jersey by Reverend James Bracken, in response to the heroin epidemic he witnessed in the young people of his community.
Dr. Ritchie felt a strong calling by God to bring that program to Roscommon. Finding housing for the endeavor was another issue. However, the village manager at the time informed him of the former Social Services building being for sale. It was the right size and location, but the cost of the building seemed insurmountable. After several communications with the owner who lived out of state, the seller agreed to donate it to the group for $1.00 November of 2017. Other repair and upgrade expenses too seemed to get covered by God’s intervention. With the help of James DeArmond, current Director and other volunteers, the Lion’s Den became a reality, opening July 13, 2018.
The Lion’s Den of Roscommon is an eight to ten month residential program. Unlike many secular programs that may be a few days or month long. Director, DeArmond, relayed that those in the program generally are desperate for change in their lives. The program is long term to fulfill that objective. It is a non-denominational Christian Ministry, and those seeking help should also “have a willingness to seek God.”
Most residents are eighteen years or older, however, minors may be accepted into the program if parents sign off. Currently, there are twenty-seven residents in the program. There is room for up to thirty-five individuals. This is a co-ed society, 90% of whom have been drug/alcohol addicted, plus others who have experienced trauma in their lives. Of those who are mandated by the courts or come on their own, the ratio is about fifty-fifty.
The facility boasts a garden in the summer where staff and residents grow a variety of vegetables. Produce is used for meals as well as residents learning how to can and preserve what they’ve grown. Residents are required to do housekeeping chores such as changing lightbulbs, sweeping floors, cooking, and other tasks. DeArmond stated, “the program helps residents bring order, direction and structure to their lives” that they may have been lacking, plus learning life skills.
All who serve there are non-professionals, but instead are people who have experienced these issues themselves and are “dedicated to helping people who have life controlling problems.” Mission Teens boasts at least an 80% success rate. Mission Teens Inc has nearly twenty such homes nationwide. Locally, eleven staff assist residents in the process of redirecting their lives.
The Lion’s Den serves three meals plus snacks daily and all food is donated, beyond what they grow themselves in the summer. DeArmond and Jordan Parke, another director, expressed their deep gratitude to the community for its support. To provide free services, they look to the community to provide donations of not only food, but paper goods, laundry aids, and other staples. Cash donations are also needed to cover expenses.
DeArmond and Parker, expressed a need for outside volunteers to teach other skills, including financial (checking/saving); insurance; and other daily tasks. DeArmond and Parker iterated the need for volunteers to help with bible studies. Currently, that effort is provided by several local pastors from churches in Roscommon and Houghton Lake.
To make a donation or for more information, visit their website: thelionsdenmbtc.com
