Two ministries are partnering to establish a Christ-centered addiction recovery facility in Bartholomew County.

Chain Breaker Ministries, a nonprofit organization formed by concerned Columbus-area Christians, is teaming up with the Indianapolis-based Wheeler Mission in the effort.

If area churches and others are willing to assist, the two ministries hope to transform a 2,282-square-foot former church parsonage at 1218 California St. into an abstinence-based intake center for six to eight men with alcohol or drug addictions, according to Chain Breaker project leader Rick Colglazier. The facility will be named Chain Breaker House.

The former parsonage, with three bedrooms and a finished basement, is large enough for the intake center, organizers said.

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Representatives of the organization canvased 61 homes within a four-block area surrounding the parsonage and nearby former church, and hosted three neighborhood meetings about the project, Colglazier said.

The intake center will house no more than six recovering addicts at one time and is not designed as a half-way house, organizers explained. The individuals in recovery will be supervised by a program manager, as well as two senior leadership trainers, said Cal Nelson, Wheeler vice president of men’s programming.

Each client would stay for not more than six weeks in the Columbus facility before being moved to a remote location north of Bloomington for several months of long-term addiction treatment, Nelson said.

Wheeler has a very strict criteria of evaluating potential clients that includes not admitting any person who has ever been convicted of child molesting, Nelson said.

The Indianapolis ministry is also quite skilled at screening out applicants who are unprepared for the intensive recovery program, according to Chain Breaker member and Columbus attorney Peter King.

“So far, we’ve had a positive response (from the neighbors),” King said.

While the intake center is small enough not to require a variance from the Columbus Board of Zoning Appeals, King emphasizes it’s still not a done deal.

“We still have some building code issues, and have an architect working with us on that,” King said.

A heartfelt mission

Colglazier has a personal reason for his involvement in creating the intake center. His son, Tyler D. Colglazier, found success with Wheeler’s program while being treated for a heroin addiction from December 2015 to August 2016, he said.

“His time with Wheeler was likely the best stage of his later life,” Rick Colglazier said. “When he came out (of treatment), he seemed whole and at peace.”

But a year-and-a-half later, Tyler Colglazier relapsed and died at age 31 of an overdose, his father said.

In their grief, the Colglazier family wanted to take action that would help others recover from addiction and also to help their families, King said.

Last October, representatives from both ministries initially met to begin putting concepts together for the Columbus program. As a result of that meeting, Pastor Dan Taube of the Columbus Missionary Alliance Church eventually offered to provide the parsonage for the intake center for two years.

Even thought the church and parsonage have since been sold, the new property owner is willing to stick by Taube’s agreement, Colglazier said.

The program

Chain Breaker House is designed to fit into the Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress (ASAP) addiction recovery programming as part of faith-based treatment options, which will be an option mentioned as available through the ASAP Hub, scheduled to open later this summer at the Columbus United Way Center.

The Chain Breaker Ministries program is using the Wheeler Mission model for it programming for the six-week intake stage, in which those in recovery receive a comprehensive assessment of the person’s medical, emotional, and social functioning, Nelson said.

This time is also used to temporarily address potential obstacles such as child support obligations, probation restrictions, medical or dental issues, in order to allow recovering addicts to focus on their recovery, Nelson said.

During their entire treatment, clients can expect a program that teaches foundational biblical principles combined with a strong work ethic, as well as leadership and relationship skills, to help participants get their lives in order, according to Wheeler Mission.

While Wheeler staff will handle the treatment and supervision, it will be up to the Chain Breaker Ministries to raise the estimated $150,000 required annually to run the facility, King said.

Once the six-week intake phase is completed, the individual in recovery will be moved to Camp Hunt north of Bloomington, Colglazier said. Since 1953, Wheeler Mission has operated this 285-acre residential facility to help men overcome addiction.

Camp Hunt offers two programs — a six-month Addictions Recovery Program emphasizing relationships and taking ownership of addiction, and a nine-month Servant Leadership Program, which trains men to teach and counsel others, Wheeler officials said.

No client has to pay to attend Camp Hunt. The facility has a pallet factory where approximately 75 percent of those undergoing treatment work, with proceeds funding the camp. Others in treatment are engaged in housekeeping, building and maintenance work. Half of the camp’s $2 million annual budget comes from the pallet factory, while individual donors provide the rest of the funding.

Why it’s effective

It is the long-term residential treatment options at Camp Hunt that make the Chain Breaker Ministries program unique and potentially effective, said Jeff Jones, executive director of the Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress in Bartholomew County (ASAP).

The two ministries have engaged ASAP from the early stages of planning, Jones said. And by keeping those in recovery away from potential enablers for several months, the camp can significantly improve the possibility of a long-term recovery, Jones said.

“We are very enthusiastic and supportive of this project,” Jones said. “Wheeler has an excellent reputation, and this will add a men’s residential treatment capacity, which we need more of.”

Camp Hunt also welcomes parents, spouses and children to visit on the weekends, in order to begin rebuilding relationships that have been destroyed by addiction, Nelson said.

But as an abstinence-based program, no opioid-based medication or medication-assisted recovery strategies are allowed during treatment, Nelson said.

“We aren’t suggesting this program is for everyone,” King said. “We are saying this is one of several alternatives.”

An individual is more likely to be successful in a faith-based addiction program such as Chain Breaker if they have a religious background or were raised in church, Nelson said.

“If this program doesn’t work out for a person, Wheeler will give them a referral to another program,” Nelson said.

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Founded in 1893, Wheeler Mission is the oldest continuously operating ministry of its kind in Indiana.

While not a church, the non-denominational Christian social services organization does cooperate with many different churches that are concerned about poverty and homelessness.

Today, the Indianapolis-based organization has nine locations, dozens of ministries, an $11 million budget and more than 180 employees.

For more information, visit https://wheelermission.org/.

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Religious individuals struggling with addiction might wrestle with what it means for their spirituality to abuse drugs and alcohol while being unable to stop using.

But most faith-based drug rehabilitation programs assure those individuals they don’t have a moral or ethical failing, and encourage their religious beliefs to continue to grow during treatment.

Similar to recovery support groups like Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous, faith-based drug rehabs bring recovering addicts together in a tight-knit community. The emotional support enjoyed during group meetings and in private conversations help individuals stay sober, and can empower them against feelings of shame that often lead to relapse.

Source: AddictionCenter.com

[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”About Chain Breaker Ministries” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

The eight core members of the Chain Breaker Ministries in Columbus:

• Rick Colglazier
• Brent Denney
• Michael Ferguson
• Peter "Pete" King
• Mark Hadley
• Eric Retrum
• John Sandlin
• Dan Taube

For more information about Chain Breaker Ministries, visit chainbreakerministries.org, call 812-418-4411, email chainbreakerhouse@gmail.com or visit on Facebook at Chain Breaker Ministries Inc.

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Hot dogs and hepatitis A vaccines were on the menu at the Bartholomew County Public Library on Tuesday as state health officials continued their ongoing efforts throughout the county to combat an outbreak.

Approximately 45 people lined up in 84-degree heat in the library’s plaza awaiting the hot dogs and vaccines about 15 minutes after the clinic opened at 11 a.m. The line of people stretched out across the plaza, nearly reaching Fifth Street.

State health officials said 100 hepatitis A vaccines were administered at the library from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Approximately 160 hot dogs were available, said Mildred Elkins, a Bartholomew County health official who had recruited a couple members of her church, Westside Community Church, to grill the hot dogs.

Tuesday’s vaccination clinic was the latest in a series of clinics locally hosted by state and county health officials, who are grappling to contain a major outbreak of hepatitis A in the state.

For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.

A Columbus homeowner accused of running an auto repair shop out of a home at 4717 Clairmont Drive is vowing to fight the city in court after code enforcement officer Fred Barnett cited multiple violations of municipal code and zoning ordinances.

Barnett notified homeowner Alicia Higgins of three violations via certified mail on May 4, 2018. The letter identified three violations of the City of Columbus municipal code and zoning ordinances, including operating an auto repair shop within an area zoned for only residential use, having inoperable vehicles parked on private and public property and blocking sidewalks with vehicles.

In the letter, Barnett said resolving these violations would require ceasing operation of the auto repair shop at the home or moving the shop to an area in Columbus that is zoned for this type of business, removing all inoperable vehicles from the property and placing the vehicles on private property in a legally-conforming garage, car port or other enclosure.

The letter also included four pages explaining the permitted primary uses of the zoning and the standards for a home-based business.

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Barnett said the city received the letter back with a “refused” note written on the envelope. In a second attempt to notify Higgins via certified mail on July 18, 2018, Barnett noted this was the final notice of violation after finding the situation had not been remedied.

“We are not running an auto repair shop,” Higgins said. “All the vehicles are either owned by myself, my husband, my brother who resides with us as well, or Russell Woodhouse.”

Barnett met with Alicia Higgins’ husband, Joshua Higgins, and Russell Woodhouse, who resides in the home part-time, in 2018 to discuss the code violations.

“I told them there was no harm in residents working on personal vehicles,” Barnett said, “but it was the large number of vehicles they were working on and the type of work they were doing was considered an auto repair shop and was creating a public nuisance.”

Alicia Higgins said they came to an agreement during that meeting that the residents weren’t running an auto repair shop out of the home. She said Barnett told the men to let the code enforcement department know if any major projects would be done.

Since that time, Higgins said they have done major projects and have left messages to Barnett that the projects would be ongoing.

“We work on our personal vehicles,” Woodhouse said. “It’s a skill that we have. We don’t have 10s of thousands of dollars to go have transmissions rebuilt or truck beds replaced.”

In April 2019, Barnett started to receive more complaints from neighbors about the property.

On May 6, 2019, correspondence between Barnett and the homeowner continued through another letter from Barnett claiming that, based on a May 3, 2019 visit to the property, the number of vehicles and types of repairs had increased.

“Code Enforcement … observed several vehicles on the property and in the city right away that were different than the original pictures taken back in May and July of 2018,” the letter read. “This indicated that these are not personal vehicles and that an auto repair shop is being run from this location which is different than previously indicated by Russell Woodhouse.”

Effective May 6, 2019, the property owner is being fined $100 per day until the violations are resolved. That letter came back to Barnett unclaimed. In a second certified letter on May 30, 2019, Barnett explained the fine and appellate procedures.

Alicia Higgins signed and returned the letter on May 31, 2019.

At a Board of Public Works and Safety meeting on June 25, 2019, Higgins and Woodhouse appealed the city’s claims, indicating that they were not running a shop out of the residence but instead all six cars located on the property were their personal vehicles.

“There’s no precedent that I’m aware of under the law that says I cannot own or I cannot have people over that own a certain number of vehicles,” Alicia Higgins said. “I don’t see how it’s lawful for this to be occurring, for us to be scrutinized for the number of vehicles we own. To my understanding, we have not broken any laws.”

Alicia Higgins said she and the other residents of her home only park on the driveway or on the street directly in front of the house.

Barnett shared a packet with the board of nearly 30 photos of images of the property, including one photo with at least seven cars lining the street, vehicles parked on city-owned property behind the home, a truck bed lying in the front yard and people working on cars in the garage at night.

The packet also included more than 15 screenshots of parts and vehicles being sold by Woodhouse on Facebook Marketplace. Woodhouse said he sells his personal vehicles on Facebook and meets buyers wherever is convenient to make the sale. He said he has owned 122 personal vehicles.

Four affidavits were also attached to the packet, claiming the residents worked on cars past 9 p.m. throughout the week, including some nights until 1 a.m. Another neighbor said the residents drive their vehicles on an “old road behind our house that is not supposed to be driven on.” They said that was a concern because children play in the area.

The affidavits support the fourth violation, causing a public nuisance that “seriously interferes with the free use and enjoyment of property or discommodes or hinders any of the citizens of the city in the exercise or enjoyment of any of their rights and privileges,” per municipal code, according to Barnett.

Several board members questioned whether Alicia Higgins and Woodhouse felt any responsibility to their neighbors. Woodhouse said he and Joshua Higgins went door-to-door earlier this year to ask neighbors if they had any concerns and let them know that they were only working on their personal vehicles.

“Every single one of them has told us personally they admire what we were doing, they wish they were able to work on their own vehicles and keep up with them,” Woodhouse said. “In fact, actually, we cared enough and were responsible enough to go knock on their doors.”

Board member John Pickett asked if any of the neighbors were available to testify on the homeowner’s behalf today, but Woodhouse said they all had to work.

The Board of Public Works upheld Barnett’s finding that the homeowner is in violation of four municipal code and zoning ordinances. Alicia Higgins will be subject to pay $100 per day from May 6, 2019 until the violations are remedied, according to the board.

“I don’t agree that we’re in violation of those codes,” Alicia Higgins said. “How many times do I have to say in letters or here, we’re not running an auto repair business. They have a hobby. They work on vehicles. That is their right. They can do as they please. That’s not to say we don’t want to compromise and be considerate.”

Alicia Higgins said their compromise is they won’t work past a certain time. The board suggested they find off-site parking to accommodate the number of cars, but Woodhouse said they have a right to park on the side of the street and the driveway.

If Alicia Higgins does not comply with the city’s request to alleviate the violations, the city could file a civil suit against her, city officials said. Alicia Higgins can also appeal the decision on her own if she wishes.

“We’ll see you in (the) Supreme Court,” Woodhouse said.