What Narconon Arrowhead and Eastern Oklahoma State College (EOSC) have in common is a desire to improve the lives of Oklahomans. Narconon Arrowhead is a non-profit drug and alcohol rehabilitation and education center in Canadian, Oklahoma, about 20 miles north of the college campus. So it was a natural fit for the two organizations to band together to educate professionals on how they can prevent substance abuse and addiction.
In 2007, EOSC and Narconon began to develop a curriculum that would teach drug abuse counselors and social workers about Narconon’s innovative rehabilitation technology so they could use this technology to counsel and help their clients. Once the curriculum was developed, the college and Narconon organized and promoted the classes, bringing in professionals from all over the state.
This collaboration was recently honored through the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education’s Economic Development Grant for the Partnership Recognition Program. Here’s what the Oklahoma State Regents had to say about this partnership effort:
Collaboration between EOSC and Narconon Arrowhead began in 2007 after the college was interested in sharing Narconon’s successful drug rehab program with other drug abuse prevention professionals and counselors. Cooperative efforts between the two led to course material being submitted and approved by several Oklahoma certifying agencies. These courses have been successfully offered at two- to three-month intervals since approval. Narconon’s non-traditional program has been accredited by the prestigious Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities for more than a decade and has recently been granted another three-year accreditation.
“Narconon Arrowhead is delighted with our working relationship and the success of our partnership with EOSC,” stated Gary W. Smith, Executive Director of Narconon Arrowhead. “The EOSC leadership possession an exceptional vision and commitment to improve conditions in McAlester and other communities throughout Oklahoma. In partnership, we generate greater strength with which to address one of our community’s most serious social ills, drug addiction. Our partnership sets a excellent example to communities around the state and across the nation of how social benefit programs and institutions of learning can combine forces and develop meaningful programs that can actually save lives, reunite families and make our communities stronger as a whole.”
Narconon Arrowhead has been located in Canadian, Oklahoma since 2001. The program was founded in 1966 by William Benitez while he was incarcerated in the Arizona State Prison. He based his program on the innovative approach to drug rehabilitation developed by L. Ron Hubbard. In more than 120 centers around the world, Narconon programs restore drug and alcohol abusers and addicts to a clean and sober life. For more information, contact Narconon Arrowhead at 800-468-6933 or visit their website at www.stopaddiction.com.
