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St. Joseph’s Hosts Russian Addiction Specialists
St. Petersburg, Russia’s The House of Hope on the Hill is the country’s only free alcohol treatment center that uses
the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous in a 28-day program. The Center has served approximately 2,500 people from 110
cities across Russia as well as patients from a few of the former Soviet states.
To further strengthen their programs, three addiction specialists; Board member and well known Russian artist
Dmitri Shagin, Senior Counselor Sergei Agafonov, the Center’s Director, Dr. Svetlana Moseeva, and their irreplaceable
translator, Alexander Alexandrov will spend the next ten days studying St. Joseph’s Rehabilitation Center’s recovery
programs and business practices. The group is particularly interested in the Family Services Session which serves as
an intervention technique to educate family members and the resident about the destructiveness of the disease.
The visit is part of an exchange program begun ten years ago through the impetus of
Fr. Bernie Palka, SA of St. Christopher’s Inn, located in Garrison, New York (Putnam County ) the sister agency of St. Joseph’s.
The exchange provides American specialists a similar opportunity to travel to Russia and to learn from their colleagues in that country.
According to Forbes Magazine, Russian male life expectancy is 59, the lowest of any developed country. Further, in the
former Soviet Union, one-third of premature deaths were alcohol related. In one city, nearly half of all premature deaths were
attributed to habitual binge drinking and consuming “non-beverage alcohol” such as cologne.
“In Russia we don’t have any institutions like St. Joseph’s. For us to develop, we need a model. Our group is here for
the third time and we have significantly expanded our knowledge. We are very grateful for the opportunity that is
being provided to us,” says Svetlana Moseeva, the House of Hope on the Hill’s Director.
The House of Hope on the Hill, founded in 1997 by American Louise Bantle who himself struggled with alcohol while
Chief Executive of U.S. Tobacco.
St. Joseph’s Family Counselor Beckie O’Neil says of the visit, “The disease is everywhere. There are no borders.
Having our guests come all the way from Russia helps to validate that what we’re doing is truly effective.”
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Guests from St. Petersburgh, Russia with staff
from
St. Joseph's Rehabilitation Center - 11/2007
Pictured Top Row R-L:
Sergei Agafonov - Senior Counselor House
of Hope, Joe Tyler - Family Councelor SJRC, Dmitri Shagin -
Board member and well known Russian artist House of Hope.
Bottom Row R-L:
Robert Ross, CEO SJRC, Bernadette Burns - Family Program Director
SJRC, Beckie O'Niel Family Councelor, Shannon Dora - Family
Program secreatry, Dr. Svetlana Moseeva -Director House of
Hope , and their irreplaceable translator, Alexander Alexandrov,
Fred Lichtenwalter - Information's Systems and Brother Alan
Lemay of SJRC. |
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