The Techiya Program: Jewish-Centered Addiction and Substance Abuse Recovery
Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches offers specialized addiction and substance abuse treatment to members of the Jewish Community. The Techciya Program is comprised of spiritual modalities centered toward Judaism. The word Techiya is Hebrew for rebirth or resurrection. This is specifically relevant to Jewish alcohol and drug rehab, because Jewish doctrine regards certain chronic, physical and social maladies as forms of death, including drug and alcohol abuse. This program helps members of the Jewish faith achieve a new beginning through counseling, education and spirituality. It’s led by an experienced and dedicated pioneer in Jewish-focused addiction recovery and includes the observance of Jewish holidays.
Rabbi Nahum Simon, Ph.D., C.A.P., Director
The Program Director, Rabbi Nahum Simon is the founder and co-executive director of Rodfei Shalom Fellowship, an organization that brings Judaism and recovery together through programming and education. He has rallied for the inclusion of spiritual assessments and spiritual tasks in treatment plans for all addicts in treatment and has presented workshops on this topic for the Florida Alcohol & Drug Abuse Association and the Florida State NAADAC conferences.
Healing through Faith and Education
After assessment and detox, Jewish patients have the opportunity to enter into a program in which they can draw healing strength from their faith, through the following activities:
- Regular consultation with a rabbi who will also serve as the patient’s spiritual counselor
- Learning or re-learning important Jewish religious texts
- Classes on Jewish spirituality
- Observance of important Jewish Holidays and special Shabbat
Specially Tailored Care for Jewish Patients
The second phase of the Techiya Program is designed to meet the special requirements of those individuals who are religiously observant. Provisions in this phase of the program include Glatt Kosher food, the observance of Shabbat and Yom Tov, and the development of a spiritually based recovery program firmly committed to the Torah and Mitzvot. During the initial phase of the program, the client will be housed at the intake center and will be provided with Glatt Kosher meals.
Clients will be housed in apartments that have been designated to be Kosher and Shabbat ready. A religious/spiritual counselor will be assigned to each participant in the program, and will work with the client so that the highest standards of need may be addressed.
Upon completion of residential treatment, patients are contacted quarterly to assess recovery progress. More intensive follow-up services are available, if necessary.
