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A THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY APPROACH TO THE TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE

THE

SELF JournalVOLUME XX NO. 2 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF SELF ENHANCEMENT FOR LIFE FOUNDATION, INC. JULY - DECEMBER 2012

SELF held a grand celebration of its 20th founding anniversary on October 30 at the Taal ViewHouse residential facility in Talisay, Batangas. The main feature of the event was a gala dinnershow entitled20th Anniversary Extravaganza that was attended by some 150 family members andfriends. The guests of honor Etan Merrick, the chair of Daytop Village Foundation, and AloysiusAJ Joseph, the vice president of Daytop International flew all the way from New York City tograce the occasion. Photo shows them receiving a copy of the coffee-table book published espe-cially to mark the milestone from SELF Founder & President Martin R. Infante and Vice President

for Administration Ma. Socorro Averilla during the gala dinner show.

STORIES AND MORE PHOTOS ON PAGES 16 TO 19


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2THE SELF Journal VOLUME XX NUMBER 2

Editors NotE: The followingarticle is the first of two papers that

Martin presented in the 25th WFTCConference in Bali, Indonesia. This

one was presented in the first plenary

session on November 7, 2012.

Martin R. InfanteFounder& President

T

HERE was a timewhen the TherapeuticCommunity approach

was regarded as one of themost effective programs in theworld. Such was the case sothat everyone who put up arehab center then would call ita TC. This brings to mind anadage that TC stalwarts usedthat aptly described the situa-tion: Its like putting a saddleon a donkey and calling it ahorse.

Strangely today, the TC isunder fire regarding the way

some of the tools are beingused. Critics say that some ofthe methods and practices likethe Confrontation, Encounterand Haircut tools are an abuseof human rights.

First and foremost, is it thefault of bona fide TC prac-titioners that people set uprehab centers and call themTCs even if the programsthey implement are not TCin nature or, worse, abusivevariations thereof? Yet, this is

what has been happening: theTC approach is being trashedwholesale for the malpracticeof some.

What to do? The vari-ous federations national,Asian, even the World arequite powerless regarding this.It is not for them to policesuch rehabs, which is perhapsbest left to the relevant na-tional regulatory agencies justlike what the Department of

Health is now doing in thePhilippines. All bona fide TC

The Bali Papers I

Preserving the integrity of the TC

practitioners can do is exem-plify the proper implementa-tion in their own centers andparticipate in seminars andtraining activities that seek toteach and disseminate the TCapproach.

Having said all these, sadly,there is really a problem ofTCs being run the wrongway. Some rehab operators doabuse the TC tools, perhapsbecause they do not reallyunderstand them or have nothad the chance to immersein a proper TC and imbibethe culture. And, even moredisheartening, is the reality ofa few out there who simply donot care about the healing andare just interested in makingmoney.

How do TC practitio-ners know whether they areimplementing the approach

properly? Most people whoset up TCs inherited the prac-

tice from another rehab, whoprobably also inherited theirsfrom still another TC. In Asiaor perhaps anywhere in theworld, rarely will you find aTC program that began witha legitimate model completewith a Manual of Operationson how to run it.

Many establish a TC pro-gram with the best of inten-tions (like I did more than 20years ago). Then somewherealong the way some methodsand practices get altered with-out anyone knowing about it.One day they just realize thatthe very heart of the TC hasbeen lost and the integrity ofthe program is put in question.This is how TCs and theirmethods and practices get vul-nerable to criticism.

Our Response

So, how do you go aboutpreserving the integrity of the

TC?What constitutes any com-

munity are its Core Beliefs. AtSELF we strive to live by thefollowing: 1) There is a fun-damental goodness in human-kind; 2) Recovery is the pro-cess of reintegrating first withoneself, then with others, andultimately with God; 3) In theprocess of treatment, one canabhor the attitude and result-ing behavior but never theperson.

Upon these Core Beliefs,we set up a Program Culturethat is Strict Yet Caring strict but not abusive, and car-ing yet not enabling.

This culture aims to pro-vide the fertile ground onwhich members of the com-munity could sink roots andgrow.

To make this happen, we

established three Guidelines.Henceforth, any practice or

IN DEFENSE OF THE TC In the first plenary session of the 25th WFTC Conference SELF President & Founder Martin

shares the changes SELF has made to promote a more humane approach in running the TC program.


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effective in teaching residentsnever to do it again theygained acceptability. Onewonders whether residents, incases like these, actually gaininsights or merely hide theirresentment to go with theflow.

Take the Haircut. We findnothing wrong with it. Whatcan become abusive is how itis given. It is important there-fore to establish clear guide-lines and protocols that showhow to implement it properly.

2. Logical Practices andprocedures must have a logicalconnection or relation to whatneeds to be learned to grow insobriety and be able to standup against relapse.

For example, when givingLearning Experiences to resi-dents, it is important that thesanction is related to the fail-ure. You dont just keep send-ing residents to the dishpanas a one size fits all LE or askthem to transfer bricks fromone place to another and then

tool of the house had to con-form with being: 1) Respectful,2) Logical, and 3) Practical.

With these we began athorough review of the pro-gram and all our methods andpractices and thereby madesure that they conformed with

the core beliefs of the TC.

1. Respectful The firstcriterion was respect. TheTC seeks to promote the fullrealization of each individualspotential based on the beliefin the infinite worth of eachhuman being. Any practice orprocedure that violates this te-net and that shows disrespectfor humankind has no place inthe TC.

Sometimes, under the pre-tense of instilling disciplinewhen it was due, residentswere maltreated to teachthem a lesson and oftentimesthey suffered not only fromphysical abuse but also fromemotional shame and embar-rassment. Since some of thesepractices had proven to be

bring them back just to drivea point.

3. Practical Finally, there isthe question of practicality. Itis also necessary that any prac-tice or procedure must alsobe employable in the world

beyond the TC.For example, in the past

residents were required toclean the house in the morn-ing and then again in theafternoon. When a programis fully developed and thereare many other activities thatneed to be undertaken thisbecomes impractical. Besideswhen the house is clean, itsclean. The afternoon can bemore productively devoted toseminars and training groups.

Integrity of the SELF TC

The following are four ac-tions taken to improve on thepractice of the TC:

1. Manual of Operations At the heart of a TC are allits Methods and Practices,

particularly the BehaviorShaping Tools. Hence to pre-vent inconsistency in theirapplication, it is necessary tohave a comprehensive Manualof Operations (MOP) thatclearly describes the structureof the program together with

its implementing guidelines.Moreover, an MOP must con-tain specific protocols on howeach method or practice isconducted.

2. Annual Operations Review For the past four years, wehave been conducting an an-nual review of all rules andpractices that involves theentire healing community. Ina formal plenary session, allstakeholders including resi-dents are invited to bring upissues that they think need tobe addressed. Concerns thatare duly seconded are tabledfor discussion.

After the plenary, the topicstabled are distributed for dis-cussion in different workshopgroups that have to come up

OPENING THE EXHIBITS On November 6, WFTC President Tony Gelormino cuts

the ceremonial ribbon to officially open the exhibit booths set up by par ticipating

agencies as part of the Opening Ceremonies of the 25th WFTC Conference in Bali,Indonesia. Witnessing him fo the honors are (L to R): Dr. Donald Kurth, member of

the Board of Governors of Daytop Villages; Etan Merrick, Chair of Daytop Villages;

Ron Williams, WFTC Vice President; Fr. Lambertus Somar, President and Founder

of the host organization Kasih Mulia Foundation; Juan Palacios, President of theLatin American Federation of TCs; and Dr. Sushma Taylor, WFTC Board Member.


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with a recommendation by theend of the day. The followingday these recommendationsare reviewed by the Manage-ment Committee in the pres-ence of resident officers andstaff. The recommendationsthat pass this process are in-

corporated as revisions in theMOP.

3. EMO-Bank Account SELF has adopted the StevenCoveys Emotional Bank(EMO Bank) Account con-cept and integrated it with thetraditional TC appraisal sys-tem of the Behavior ShapingTools (BST) Tracking Sheet.

In the book The Seven Hab-its of Effective People, Coveytalks about measuring theemotional investments peoplemake in one another just likethe way money is depositedand withdrawn from an ac-count.

A resident makes depositsor withdrawals in the follow-ing five areas: 1) Kindness andCourtesies, 2) Meets Expecta-tions, 3) Keeps Promises, 4)Avoids Duplicity; 5) MakesApologies

The TC traditionally

records the infractions of a

resident and his/her status inthe hierarchy of sanctions anduses this as the primary basisfor determining what actionto take in any given situation e.g., promotions/demotionsor severity of sanctions.

This appraisal procedure

has been modified with theuse of the EMO Bank Ac-count as a mitigating or ag-gravating factor resulting in amore responsive Resident Ap-praisal System that allows Pro-gram Staff to arrive at morebalanced evaluations.

Today, Selecting the Ap-propriate BST is a process thatinvolves the assessment ofthree aspects:

1) The Severity of the of-fense as presented in the inci-dent;

2) The Frequency or repe-tition of offenses as recordedin the BST Tracking Sheet;and

3) The Deposits garneredby the resident in his/herEMO Bank as recordedin the EMO Bank WeeklyTable.

Thus LOW Frequencyof offenses plus HIGHDeposits in the EMO Bank

can at times outweigh HIGH

severity incidents.

4. The TDCOM TheTrans-Disciplinary Com-mittee (TDCOM) is a bodycomposed of the differentservice disciplines that makeup the SELF TC. Its main

purpose is to ensure that theselection process of a suit-able Sanction or Promotionis carried out by more thanone function of the Program.It is held every day and isconvened by the ProgramDirector who chairs the ses-sion together with Clinicaland Program personnel.

In essence, anyone in thecommunity who feels theycan provide useful inputs onthe cases to be discussed areencouraged to attend theTDCOM sessions. Hereinlies the power of the com-mittee as different standpoints and sectors of thecommunity lend their voiceto validate the decision thatis arrived at. Engaging otherpeople who are not directlyinvolved with running theprogram brings balance andperspective and results in amulti-disciplinary perspec-

tive that makes the deci-

sions more acceptable if onlybecause of the transparencyinvolved in arriving at them.

With the TDCOM, SELFspeaks to the essence of theTC that prescribes the com-munity as the method. Itsoperation also effectively

unites SELFs Upper andLower House in a commonendeavor thereby preservingthe wholeness of the SELFTC. Since its implementa-tion in April this year, theTDCOM has become a wellaccepted intervention toolby both the residents, staffand management.

In Closing

There will always bethose who will continue tochallenge the ways of theTC. But for as long as a TCmaintains its clarity of in-tention, keeps to heart itscore values and objectivesto be a place of healing, andsafeguards the integrity of itssystems and practices, it willcontinue to stand the testof time and remain one ofthe best approaches for thetreatment and rehabilitationof substance abuse and other

behavioral disorders.

LARGEST FOREIGN DELEGATION SELF brought 32 delegates to Bali composed of staff, residents and FAM members.Photo shows part of the delegation enjoying the Bali Cultural Night dinner show on November 6.


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Editors NotE: The followingarticle is the second of two papers that

Martin presented in the 25th WFTCConference in Bali, Indonesia. This

one was presented in the second

plenary sess ion on November 9,2012.

Martin R. InfanteFounder& President

THERE are three mainfactors that influence

the success or failureof a residents treatment:The Resident, the Programand the Family. The residentis of course the key playerand we all know that we canonly lead the horse to thewater. The drinking is up tothe horse. In the end, all theprogram can do is inspireand motivate the resident tochange. Today, I will discussthe role of families during the

treatment process.In my 20 year experience, Ihave come to realize that suc-cessful recovery also hinges onthe families. Drug dependentswill usually return to theirfamilies and will have to inter-act with them.

As we all know, the de-pendent is only the symptomcarrier of what is already go-ing wrong in the family. Thefamily culture or their ways ofdoing things cannot but affect

its members such that, in adysfunctional family, membersfind their own ways of coping.Drug dependency is one waythat some take to cope withfamily problems.

Thus families must alsochange their dysfunctionalways together with their re-covering dependents duringthe treatment process. Whenfamilies dont, the dependentupon returning to his home

would be hard pressed tomaintain a successful recov-

The Bali Papers II

Family healing and empowerment

ery. Thus the TC program,even as it teaches the resident

self-reliance and interdepen-dent living, it should at thesame time address the needfor healing and growth in thefamilies.

The problem is many fami-lies do not buy into this ideabecause they dont want togive up what they have beenaccustomed to doing, whichis having their own way. Howmany families are ready tomake changes in their ownlives? How does one convincefamilies that the life of theirdependent is more importantthan social status?

If families continue to treatthe dependent in the sameways as before, if families keepon doing things for them, howthen will a drug dependentmaintain the self-worth andself-esteem that he has gainedin the program? This is calledstealing growth.

Let us now revisit the phe-

nomenon of codependency.When we compare the profile

of the drug dependent withthe codependent, we will

learn that they have similarprofiles:No Limits and Boundaries ExpertLiar ExpertManipulator LowSelfEsteem Falsesenseofself-worth Impulsive Lowfrustrationtolerance

There is one importantdifference. Where the drugdependent is addicted todrugs, the codependent isaddicted to the dependent.Some families love to res-cue their dependent and, ofcourse, the dependent justloves to be rescued. Thisinterplay must be addressedduring the treatment and re-habilitation process.

The SELF Family

Empowerment Program

Right from the start, wehave required families to par-ticipate in the healing process.

In fact we make them sign acontract to this effect. Fami-

lies must religiously attend themonthly Family AssociationMeeting (FAM) that is heldevery first Saturday of themonth from 9:00 AM to 3:00PM.

It is a Family Empower-ment Program that has thefollowing objectives: 1) Tolearn how the TC programworks; 2) To gain insight on theimportant role that families playin the recovery process; 3) Tointroduce codependency so thatfamilies understand the needfor their own recovery; 4) Topromote healing and facilitatereintegration.

The Blind Trust Walk

To become a member eachfamily undergoes a uniqueprocess of acceptance similarto what their loved underwentin the TC process. The high-light of this is the Blind Trust

Walk where new families areblindfolded and led in front ofthe FAM assembly by a FAMElder.

As their blindfolds areremoved, they are welcomedwith warm applause. Then anassigned FAM Elder welcomesthe new members and givesa short testimony of his/herexperience. Then an assignedresident also gives a shorttestimony of his/her recovery.Only then will New Membersbe asked to share how theyfeel about the Trust Walk andabout entrusting their lovedone to the TC.

After their sharing, theModerator asks a FAM Elderto speak briefly on the TCPhilosophy and proceeds toaward each new family with aPlaque of the TC Philosophyto signify their acceptanceto the group. Then everyonelines up to welcome them to

the FAM.The Family Empowerment

Kasih Mulia Founder & President Fr. Lambertus Somar awards SELF Founder &

President Martin R. Infante a Plate of Appreciation for presenting an informative

paper on the SELF Family Program at the second plenary session on November 9.


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Program has two thrusts: 1)Regular Business Apprais-ing them of the status of theirloved ones; and 2) FamilyHealing Facilitating theirown growth in recovery.

I. REGULAR BUSINESS

One key factor that hasbeen central in our successwith families is the Transpar-ency we have always demon-strated in all our dealings withthem. Short of having themlive in the facility, families areexposed to the same disci-plines of the TC program.

They are informed abouteverything that is happeningwith their loved ones in treat-ment. Nothing is screened. Inthis way they are challengedto cope with the reality of theattitudes and behavior thattheir residents display in theprogram. As they deal withthe ups and downs of the resi-dents, they discover the areasin which they need to grow.

1. Monthly Resident

Progress Reports

Each FAM members isgiven 10 minutes to reviewthe Residents Progress Report

with the Caseload Staff andassigned Resident Facilitatorbefore the start of the regularprogram. The Caseload Staffgives a brief overview of theresidents progress over thelast 30 days and explains theareas that need developmentin the next 30 days. Clinicalconcerns may be taken upwith the Facility Psychiatristas needed.

2. Monthly Program

Updates

As the regular programbegins, the Program Directorgives a report on the variousdevelopments in the program.These include such things as:admissions and pull-outs, pro-motions, demotions, currentchain of command, birthdaysand First Sober Year Awards.Significant infractions of theresidents are also shared todemonstrate how the TC

program converts these situa-tions to learning experiences.

This way FAM members gainlearnings and insights into theTC process.

3. Residents First Testimony

at the FAM

At every FAM meeting, aresident in the Reentry Phase

is selected to give his/her firsttestimony as their right of pas-sage signaling their readinessto reintegrate in society. Asidefrom benefitting the resident,the testimony aims to inspirethe families to stay the course.

4. Monthly Program Activity

Video

Every month, the MediaDepartment prepares a Videothat is shown at the FAM.This video covers the activi-ties of the residents during thepast month. The families seefor themselves both the posi-

tive developments as well asthe negative realities of lifein the TC. There is no sugarcoating and families see whatactually takes place in thefacility.

Doubts and concerns of thefamilies about the program

have dropped considerablysince the introduction of thesevideos more than five yearsago.

II. FAMILY HEALING

The second thrust ofthe Family EmpowermentProgram is facilitating thegrowth of families in their ownrecovery. It is important tonote that while doing so, theresident in recovery remainsthe primary client and not thefamilies. The following activi-ties are conducted to promotefamily healing.

1. Seminars

Every FAM meeting, aseminar is conducted that isselected from a cycle of top-ics that cover such areas as:The SELF Approach, TheTherapeutic Community, TheTC Tools of the House, TheRole of Families in Recovery,Codependency, The Profile ofa Drug Dependent, The Con-tinuum of Care Model andRelapse Prevention to namea few.

2. Resident-Family

Handbook

The Resident and FamilyHandbook is a guidebook con-taining the rules and guide-lines that both residents and

their families need to know.It explains in basic form theways of the TC together withits tenets and practices.

A special feature of thebook are the necessary Dosand Donts that familiesshould know about in allthe phases of program. Eachresident and family member isencouraged to be well versedwith the rules, guidelines andprotocols discussed in thehandbook. As needed, differ-ent chapters of the book arediscussed at the FAM.

3. Group Therapy Sessions

In the afternoon, the mainactivity is the conduct ofgroup therapy sessions. FAMmembers are divided intothree Static Groups composedof all levels of the program. Inthat way elder FAM membersare able to shed light into theissues the younger members

bring up and suggest waysthey have learned to copewith the process, much like itis done with residents in thefacility.

4. Family Testimony

Every FAM meeting, afamily elder gives a testimonyof his/her experience in theFamily Program. In this waythey are able to share theirsurrender and acceptance ofthe TC process and signifiestheir readiness to tackle their

The Blind Trust Walk is a ritual that new family members undergo when they are

welcomed to the SELF Family Association during a regular meeting.

SELF President Martin Infante, Daytop Family Association Chair Mariana Danois,

Center Point President Sushma Taylor, Pengasih Family Association Chair Melanie

Hermanto, and Odyssey House President James Pitts take a break after presentingpapers on family programs in the second plenary session on November 9.


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BATTLING CODEPENDENCY Participants of Workshop 3 on the Plenary 2 theme Easy To Forgive, Hard To Forget, Always Afraid pose for a

souvenir photo after heart-warming discussions on winning the battle of codependency with the help of family programs. The resource persons

were Farheen Naveed of New Horizons Care Center in Pakistan (seated 2nd from left) and SELFs Margie Stevens (seated 2nd from left).

codependency.

thE FamilyiNtErvENtioN

Program

Family Intervention is ahelping service provided toinitiate the healing process be-tween residents and their fam-ilies. The Clinical Departmentconducts three distinct Fam-ily Interventions during thecourse of the Primary Phase

each of which has a differentobjective. All of the interven-tions are conducted in thefacility. Prior to each interven-tion, the family is briefed onthe goals of the process. Fam-ily Interventions may be con-ducted in subsequent phasesas the need arises.

I. Family Counseling

This is a counseling sessionfor family members that isconducted without the resi-dent. It has the following Ob-jectives: 1) To enlighten themon the Clinical aspects of theprogram; 2) To guide themin getting in touch with theirinner feelings; 3) To explainto the behavioral dynamicsof a resident in treatment; 4)To prepare them for their firstencounter with the resident.

II. Family Encounter

This is a critical interven-

tion session between residentsand their families mainly

because it is the first timethey will meet since admis-sion. This session is especiallyhelpful for residents who arenot progressing since it allowsfamilies to confront the dys-functional behavior of theirresidents. It has the followingObjectives: 1) To clarify theclaims that are being madeby the resident; 2) To identifypast events that will validate

the need for treatment; 3 Toconfront Thinking Errorsthat hold back the residentsprogress; 4) To allow residents

to find initial resolutions onsome issues.

III. Family Day

After passing the CDI,the resident earns the rightto invite his family for a visitwhich will feature a dialoguebetween the resident and his/her entire family. At this stage,the resident should be readyto own up to past actions, be

willing to clean his/her ownmess and seek support forrecovery.

Family members are like-

wise expected to be open toresolve conflicts. It has thefollowing Objectives: 1) Topromote openness in the dis-cussion of family issues; 2) Todiscuss family dynamics andsuggest improvements; 3) Toprovide helpful hints towardsContinuing Care; 4) To intro-duce the residents family tothe SELF community 5) Tomark their first sober family

festivity.

In Conclusion

We may never be able tofully address codependencyin families but teaching themthe ways of the TC providesa promise that someday theymay choose to use what theyhave learned and improvetheir lives. The lengthy expo-sure to the principles of theTC will undoubtedly be ben-

eficial to both the residentsand their families.

For in addressing both de-pendency and codependency,residents and their families areable to harness each othersstrengths toward mutual re-covery and growth. Without adoubt, when families are en-abled to pursue a path of re-covery parallel to that of theirown loved ones they will landtogether in a place that is safe

for further growth into healingand wholeness.

Workshop moderator Sockie Averilla of SELF gives Farheen Naveed of Pakistan aPlaque of Appreciation for her workshop presentation on codependency.


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By Luis Del Rosarioreentry resident

ATOTAL of 32 SELF

delegates ninestaff members, three

graduates, nine residents and11 FAM members attend-ed the 25th World Federa-tion of Therapeutic Commu-nities (WFTC) Conferencein Bali, Indonesia which tookplace from November 6-10.

The entire delegationboarded the same flight thatdeparted from Manila at 2:00pm on November 4 and land-ed at Denpasar, the capital ofBali, at around 10:00 pm.

They arrived at the SanurParadise Plaza Hotel, theconference venue, at around11:30 pm and immediatelyproceeded to their respectiverooms for a much needed rest.

Next morning the delegatesregistered for the event andwere issued identificationcards and conference bagswith a complete program ofactivities, two conference

shirts and an information kitabout Indonesia and Bali.

The rest of the day wasspent in relaxation and inmeeting other delegates. Somerested while others explored

the island of Bali.That night all the delegates

more than 600 participantsfrom 36 countries attendeda Barbecue Party in the mainballroom where they inter-acted for the first time. Manytook advantage of the liveband and hit the dance floor.

The conference officiallystarted on November 6 withelaborate Opening Ceremo-nies.

First to address the partici-pants was WFTC PresidentAnthony Gelormino. Thenas host of the convention,Founder and President ofKasih Mulia Foundation Fr.Lambertus Somar welcomedeveryone to Bali.

Police CommissionerGories Mere, the head ofNational Narcotics Board ofIndonesia, followed. He gavea brief speech and then strucka ceremonial gong to formally

launch the conference.A ceremonial cutting of the

ribbon to officially open thevarious exhibits in the hotellobby followed. Then a cultur-al troupe treated the delegates

to the traditional Balinesewelcome dance.

The afternoon was spentlistening to the reports of thevarious Federation Heads fromdifferent regions of the world,while the evening featured aformal Balinese Dinner withan almost endless presentationof Bali dances.

On the morning of Novem-ber 7, Plenary 1 entitled TCContributions to Recovery washeld featuring a lineup of sixspeakers.

Sitting amongst the giantsof the Therapeutic Com-munity waiting for his turn topresent his paper was noneother than SELF Founder andPresident Martin R. Infante.

The first to speak was Dr.George De Leon, an icon ofthe TC movement and authorof several canonical bookson the TC modality. His talkstressed the need to conduct

evidence based studies on suc-cessful TC practices.

The other speakers were:James Pitts, Chief ExecutiveOfficer of Odyssey HouseFoundation of Australia; Ed

Castillo, Asian Federation ofTCs; David Kerr, Founder ofIntegrity House TC of USA;and Fr. Gabriel Mejia, Federa-tion of Latin American TCs.

When it was Martins turn,he presented the latest inno-vations in the SELF program.He talked about the EMO-Bank Account as a way ofbalancing the use of the tradi-tonal Behavior Shaping Tools.

Martin also discussed pro-moting transparency and theTC dictum of communityas method with the Trans-Disciplinary Committee whereany member of the commu-nity, even Junior residents,could sit and participate indeliberations that determinewhat sanctions to give an err-ing resident

It was apparent that theparticipants found his presen-tation interesting. Many wereseen avidly writing notes or

taking snapshots of his slidepresentation.

PROUD TO BE SELF The SELF delegation to the 25th WFTC Conference in Bali, Indonesia pose proudly with Martin after his well-received presentation

Preserving the Integrity of the TC in the first plenary on November 7, 2012. Joining them is Dr. George De Leon (center), author of several books on the

Therapeutic Community who also presented a paper during the same plenary, and Dr. Benjie Reyes, Assistant Secretary of the DDB (2nd from right).

XXV WFTC Conference

Doing SELF proud in Bali


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When he ended, peoplefrom all levels of the TC se-niority stood up to shake Mar-tins hand and congratulatehim. It was a proud momentfor the SELF delegates.

That afternoon, eightworkshops were held for fur-ther discussions on the themeof the morning plenary. Afterthe workshops, when therapporteurs presented a briefsynopsis of the proceedings, itwas gratifying to see that fiveof the eight rapporteurs camefrom SELF not only staffbut also residents. This was aclear validation of the effortsSELF expends on training.

November 8 was a free day.Some participants registeredfor the tour packages; otherswent to see famed spots in Bali

on their own.On November 9, the con-

ference started with a surpriseinvitation for the SELF del-egates to come to the frontof the plenary hall to sing theSELF TC Philosophy a cap-pella. One of the organizers,Aloysius Joseph of Daytopwho is a frequent visitor atSELF, thought it a good ideato share the only center thathad made a song of the TCPhilosophy. It was definitelyanother feather in SELFs cap.

Plenary 2 followed, focus-ing on family programs withthe codependentss mantra astheme Easy to Forgive, Hardto Forget and Always Afraid.

Martin was again one of thepresentors and he spoke aboutthe SELF Family Empower-ment Program. This presenta-tion also generated a lot of

interest and received muchacclaim.

In the afternoon, a secondset of workshops on the ple-narys theme was held. One ofthem featured Margie Stevens,the chair of SELFs Family As-sociation. With an audienceof almost 100 delegates sheshared her testimony of howfrom a desperate mother sheslowly emancipated herselffrom the clutches of codepen-dency with the help of SELFsparallel program for families.Her honest and open sharinginspired the next speaker fromPakistan to discard her slidepresentation and instead sim-ply share her own journey inrecovery and codependence.

Plenary 3 entitled The Sci-ence of Biology of Recovery washeld in the morning of the lastday of the conference. The

speakers, mostly psychiatristsby profession, shared interest-

ing albeit highly technical les-sons on how the brain workedin coping with substance useand recovery.

The Closing Ceremoniesfollowed immediately and itwas this writers turn to leadthe entire conference in sing-ing Lean On Me and whiledoing a simple choreography.I never imagined I would everperform in front of 600 peoplefrom all over the world. It wasindeed a big milestone in mydevelopment and a memorythat I will cherish forever.

For the SELF delegation asa whole it was also a validatingexperience. With the goal oflearning from the leading TCprograms of the world, theydiscovered that the SELF ap-proach was also a model that

others could learn from andemulate.

LEA TUMBADO, Program Director

ROMIGER MAI BUCONG, clinical HeaD

WHEN I learned that I was assigned to be one of the rapporteurs in theconference, I accepted the task very reluctantly. I never considered myself

a capable writer, much less a speaker. During the meeting of rapporteurs

in Bali, I got all the more nervous. I learned that we had to make a report

of our assigned session within 24 hours. Knowing that it was going to be

reviewed by the chairman of the rapporteurs, I became afraid that I might

let the SELF delegation down. When we were asked what we felt about doing

this job, how I wanted to say, No more! However, at SELF we are trained

to give our all and to even discover new potentials. Thanks to the support

of my mentor who happened to be with me, I trusted in my environment and

did my best. I reported on my workshop satisfactorily and worked all night

to finish the report. In the end, I felt a great sense of accomplishment and

discovered a new talent. The experience has become a major addition tomy personal growth and for that I am deeply grateful.

THE thought of going to one of the mostpopular tourist destinations in Asia made mevery excited. But I reminded myself that I would

be participating in a world conference and I

shifted to my role as a representative of SELF

and a member of a world-wide community of TC

practitioners. I wasnt sure how to prepare myself

as a participant, much more a rapporteur, in the

conference. So I just remained determined to do

the task with the same Pride in Quality I was

accustomed to in SELF.

In the conference I saw that our delegation quite

immersed and active in the proceedings and this

made me feel at home. When the organizersacknowledged our demeanor, this gave me a

great sense of pride and boosted my confidence

for the task at hand. We simply worked like we

always do in SELF but it was nice to know that

our behavior was appreciated. We came to

the conference with the mission of sharing our

knowledge and experience in the TC. I am proud

that our demeanor made a distinct impact on

others because in the end its what we do!

Lea chats with speaker Juan Palacios from Chile.

Mai (3rd from L) takes a break with (L to R) FAM member Cookie Guerrero,VP for Administration Sockie Averilla and FAM Chair Margie Stevens.

Reflections on the Bali Experience


10/32


By Michael Tuasonreentry resident

IWAS privileged to beamongst those selected tobe a delegate to the 25th

Conference of the World Fed-eration of Therapeutic Com-munities in Bali.

As a member of the MediaDepartment, my main taskwas to take videos of the eventbut I was also given the addi-tional assignment of serving asone of the rapporteurs of theconference. From this perspec-tive I saw how the Bali confer-ence showcased the dynamismof the SELF TC.

When SELF President &Founder Martin R. Infantetook to the podium in the Ple-nary 1 session and presentedhis paper on Preserving the In-tegrity of the TC, I felt so proud.He was able to clearly show

how the SELF TC has evolvedinto the responsive program itis today.

As I was walking up anddown the aisles taking videoclips, I noticed that the eyes ofmost everyone was glued to thevideo wall showing Martinsslides and taking notes.

Some delegates even tookphotos of each slide to make

sure they didnt miss any detail.That got my curiosity and so Idared to look from behind tosee what they were writing.

Almost every note pad Iglanced at had three words:Respectful, Logical and Practical.Wow, I thought, these are thevery key words that SELF de-veloped to guide our practicessince 2004.

It was a moment I could notput into words. It just suddenlydawned on me that the wisdomof Martin and the practices ofSELF was actually making animpact on this world audienceand could influence the lives ofthousands should the audienceof practitioners adopt them.

I strove to look nonchalantand not show my excitement,but deep inside me I was reallyelated and proud.

That wasnt even the half ofit. The interest of the audience

grew as Martin discussed howSELF employed the EmotionalBank Account concept of Ste-ven Covey to lessen the rigidityof the standard behavior shap-ing tools of the TC approach.

They were further intriguedwhen Martin talked aboutestablishing the Trans-Disci-plinary Committee, throughwhich all members of the com-

munity, even Junior residents,can participate when decisionsabout what sanctions to giveresidents are made.

At one point, some del-egates from Europe and Gua-temala asked me if I couldexplain the Emotional Bank abit more after the plenary towhich I gladly replied, Yes.

After the plenary, delegatesfrom Nepal, Vietnam, and awoman Jail Superintendentfrom Davao asked me if theycould have a copy of Mar-tins presentation. They wereamazed ... but so was I.

Another remarkable experi-ence I had was serving as arapporteur. Weeks before theconference, a few of us wereinformed that we would bescribing the proceedings ofsome workshops. This did notbother me much as we hadbeen trained to scribe group

sessions in SELF since I was inthe Primary Phase.

However, when we attendedthe briefing for the rapporteurin Bali and were informed thatpart of our task would be to de-liver a short report to the ple-nary right after the workshops,I felt a lump in my throat.

I took it in stride but I couldnot help but be anxious when

it was my turn to talk in frontof more than 600 people fromall over the world. Half waythrough my report I sloweddown and enjoyed what couldbe the one single moment inmy life when I was speakingon a world stage and my wordswere being simultaneouslytranslated into six languages.Wow! What a feeling!

That night after the Indo-nesian Cultural Dinner Showthe days rapporteurs workedpast 3:00 in the morning tocomplete the comprehensivewritten report on their work-shops. I was so impressed whenofficers of SELF stayed up withus to pick up the slack even ifthey were not required to doso.

For the workshops on Plena-ry 2 six of the eight had rappor-teurs from SELF. That for mewas a clear display of the kind

of attitude that is taught andpracticed in the SELF program the Pride in Quality that isdemanded from us from thevery start of our TC process.

Truly, SELF has fulfilled its10-year mission set in 2002 tobecome a world class center forhealing that embodies the prin-ciples of the Therapeutic Com-munity.

THE RAPPORTEURS Michael Tuason (3rd from L) proudly takes his place with the team of rapporteursthat covered the workshops when they were asked to take a bow at a plenary session.

WORLD CLASS WFTC VP Ron Williams presents

a token of appreciation to Kasih Mulia CEO AgnesWirjanto for organizing a world class conference.

Reentry Testimony

SELF shines on the world stage


11/32


By Luz HeckerGraduate FaM MeMber

THE 25th WFTCConference was heldin Bali, Indonesia on

Nov 6-10, 2012. This yearstheme was Individual Growthand Recovery Through theTherapeutic Community: EastMeets West, Meets East andthere were more than 600attendees from 36 countries.It was unique in that for thefirst time, the families wereinvited in acknowledgementof their role in the healingprocess.

The conference was veryinformative. Parallel to theevolution of the TC method,from being on the sidelinesto its inclusion in the main-stream therapy for addiction,is the paradigm shift from theexclusively medical model

of disease treatment to themore holistic and relationalapproach, with its unique fo-cus on Recovery.

As regards outcome, therewas a tremendous leap fromthe dismal, hopeless progno-sis of the past to an astound-ing success rate of 80 85%in the properly administeredand adhered to TC Program.

East and West have dif-ferent difficulties in theimplementation of the TCprogram. Asians are cultur-ally programmed to please,to acquiesce, to camouflagefeelings, especially the nega-tive emotions, and have moredifficulty confronting com-pared to our Western coun-terparts. Our families aremuch too close which meansmore family support but moredifficulty in letting go.

On the other hand, sincewe are not so dependent on

public funding, TCs herehave more room to adapt and

FAM Testimony

The gentle embrace of family

THE HECKERS Tony and Luz Hecker at the Opening Ceremonies.

Just like in Morning Meetings back home the SELF delegation sings the TCPhilosophy a cappella to start Day 4 of the conference.

be more creative without theconstraints of having to comeup with measurable and re-

producible statistics to justifyfunding, such as numbers ofresidents, hours of counsel-ing, accounting of expenses,scores in evaluation tests, etc.

But how do you score re-lationships, kindness, toughlove, etc. that are the veryfoundation of the Therapeu-tic Community model?

Much had been learned,

but the WFTC Conferencesimpact was more on whatand how the event was expe-

rienced. Knowledge informsbut it is the insights thattransform.

There was a pervadinggentleness in the busy-ness ofthose five days, sustained bythe gentleness of Bali itselfand its people.

Fr. Somar, our host him-self, was gentleness personi-fied. This atmosphere made it

conducive to pay attention toand articulate the myriad ofexperiences not only duringthe conferences but also dur-ing the sharing at the coffeebreaks and the free moments.

There is an energy un-leashed when people withshared experience cometogether to re-live not onlythe pain, for some, but alsothe healing, for all. Under-standing is instantaneous andacceptance is intuitive. Thatwas what made the week sopowerful. We were all im-mersed in the embrace offamily.

That all the giants of theTC method were recover-ing addicts was a testamentto the success of the move-ment. In fact, it was the best.They gave us more reason tobelieve that Yes, there trulyis hope for a LIFE after treat-

ment. And these men andwomen were the embodimentof that hope. They have allbeen through recovery.

But what is recovery?Abstinence is a given butrecovery is way beyond. Itis the process of discoveringoneself and, to quote Martin,re-inventing oneself in theprocess.

Someone mentioned anew lifestyle, self fulfillment,the realization of ones po-tential. I call it LIFE, with acapital L, and that presup-poses what I consider themost important, that whichis most noble, that whichmakes as more human: theability and the willingness togive back.

Our gratitude to all in theTC Movement, especially toSELF and to Martin not onlyfor continually giving back,but for constantly trying to

improve the TC method. Hisheart is truly with us.


12/32


GOOD JOB! Members of SELFs 16th batch of graduates strike a wacky pose in

jubilation after the graduation ceremonies on July 21 at the Sacred Heart Auditorium.

Sitting with them are Founder & President Martin Infante (far left) and Program

Director Lea Tumbado (far right) who is tickled pink with Gies affectionate embrace.

Keeping the fire of sobriety burningBy Michael Tuasonreentry resident

SELF held its 16th Grad-uation Rites on July21 at the Sacred Heart

Auditorium (SHA). Withthe theme Keeping the Fire ofSobriety Burning, another 17residents proudly marcheddown the aisle to receive theirPlaque of Achievement for theAdvanced Grade of the SELFValue Formation Program.

The candidates for gradu-ation started arriving in thefacility with their families asearly as 1:00 pm, but it was notuntil 4:30 pm that the HolyMass to start the proceedingsbegan.

Fr. Do-on Dabalos, theofficiating priest who was fly-ing in from the Visayas, wasdelayed by inclement weather,

but everything went smoothlyafterwards.

After the Mass, everyoneproceeded to the SHA for anearly dinner followed by thegraduation program proper.

To the strains of Barry Ma-nilows I Made It Through TheRain, the graduation entou-rage entered the auditoriumled by SELF Founder & Presi-dent Martin Infante and theBoard of Trustees.

When the members ofBatch 2012 entered they weremet by thunderous applausefrom the audience.

Program Director Lea Tum-bado gave the Opening Re-marks. She shared her feelingof fulfillment for having beenable to guide the candidates tothe grand day of their gradu-ation.

Then Martin addressedthe graduating class, notinghis distinct privilege of being

an instrument in the healingprocess of the candidates most

of whom he had personallysupervised.

In ending, he introduced anAVP prepared by the MediaDepartment that featuredsnippets from the candidateslife in the facility capped bya brief message for each onefrom a resident whom thegraduate had personally in-spired.

The awarding of the Plaqueof Achievement followed. Tomuch applause, each can-didate was introduced andcalled on stage by ProgramDirector Lea Tumbado, whereMartin and Board MemberRaul Buan, assisted by VP forFinance Virgie David, handedthem the coveted plaques.

The 2012 graduates are Al-lysa Primicias, Anton Velasco,Butch Garcia, Charles Nguy-en, Denise Dangilan, Fiona

Johnston, George Eliot II, JanStevens, Jojit Gueco, Makki

Malabanan, Patrick Torrano,PJ Bagalso, Regina Abellar,Richard Sibang, Robert Spak-owski, Tim Bechtel and TonyHecker.

Denise Dangilan thenspoke for the graduates andnoted how her journey in re-covery is captured in a biblepassage: Unless a grain of wheatfalls into the earth and dies, itremains just a single grain; but ifit dies, it bears much fruit. (John12:24)

She shared that until sheallowed her old spirit to diein the process of her pro-gram, she would have neveremerged from the darkness ofher addiction.

(Read a digest of Denises

speech on page14.)

Luz Hecker, responding forthe Family Association, shared

her experience as a motherwho struggled alongside her

16th Graduation Rites


13/32


son in mutual recovery.She ended her message

with a moving video of abutterfly emerging from its

cocoon.The keynote speech was

delivered by Board MemberJess Hofilea who shared theinspiring story of Willie Jolleywho famously said, A setbackis a set up for a come back.

Jolley was a singer whosecareer ended when the Kara-

oke machine gained popularityand took over gigs like his.Willie got lost in unchartedterritory until he reinvented

himself and became a highlysuccessful motivationalspeaker.

Jess encouraged the gradu-ates to follow Jolleys lead andnever give up in the face offuture setbacks but rather turnthese into opportunities tofind their purpose in life.

He ended his speech witha video of a person singing apowerful inspirational songin front of a large audience.

That, by the way, is WillieJolley he then told the audi-ence.

In the entertainment seg-ment of the program thatfollowed, SELFs MasterShowman Danilo Noche andhis company of comics left thecrowd in stitches with a hilari-

ous presentation of the typicalfoibles of the graduates life inthe TC.

Board Member Joy Infante

brought the program to a closewith a brief but poignant re-minder to the graduates: AtSELF, you will always have ahome away from home.

All told, the 16th Gradu-ation Rites was a celebrationthat inspired everyone whoattended.

Anton, accompanied by his daughter Merisse, receives his Plaque ofAchievement from Martin as Board Member Raul Buan looks on.

Master Showman Danilo and his Three Blind Mice give a comic renditionof the typical foibles during the life in recovery of the graduates.

Lea Tumbado: Today marks a new chapter

in the lives of our graduates ...

Martin Infante: Graduates, your greatest chal-

lenge will be to keep the fire of sobriety burning.

Jess Hofilea: This is for us all who shared

the journey with the graduates ...

Luz Hecker: It is important to keep your

eyes on the prize ...

GRADUATE WALL OF FAME Makki raises her arm in triumph

after hanging her photo in the Graduate Wall of Fame.


14/32


By Denise DangilanGraduate 2012

Editors NotE: The following isa digest of the speech of Ms Denise

Dangilan who spoke on behalfof her fellow graduates during the

Graduation Rites held at the SacredHeart Auditorium on July 21, 2012.

F

IRST of all I would liketo say that I am gratefulto be given the task of

speaking on behalf of all mypeers and I hope I do justice tothem all.

My message today is areflection on a bible passageabout the grain of wheat fromJohn 12:24: Unless a grain ofwheat falls to the earth and dies,it remains just a single grain; butif it dies, it bears much fruit.

Toward the end of my pro-gram, my life took a turn thatreflected what the passage was

saying. Just like the grain ofwheat that has to die beforeit can bear fruit, I too had todie in order to be reborn inthe Spirit. It was amazing!

The bible passage capturesthe miracle that happens in theTC and is echoed in our TCPhilosophy in two distinct: 1)Unless I suffer them to sharemy secrets, I have no safetyfrom them. and 2) (only then)I can take root and grow.

Ladies and gentlemen, thisis the story of my life. I firsthad to die and strip off myimage before I could take rootand grow in this communityand learn to love myself.

Like most kids who wentastray and took to drugsmy core issue sprang from adysfunctional family. Feelinglost at home and wanting tobelong, I sought comfort inthe company of others. I be-came the party girl who drank

alcohol and smoked with theguys. At the age of 16, I got

pregnant.My mother was, of course,

horrified but she decided tosend me to Canada hopingthat I would find a betterfuture there far away fromthe negative influences of thecrowd I was running with.

In Canada, I gave birth toa beautiful baby boy. The ex-perience of giving birth awayfrom my family was traumatic,but I managed to keep a posi-tive disposition and survived.When I saw the face of myson for the first time, it was asif the anger and disappoint-

ment toward my family and

the father of my son all washedaway. Its going to be all right, Ithought.

For the sake of my son, Ikept to the straight and narrowpath and began to heal. Even-tually, however, it was time forme to go back to school andbegin college. I was excited totackle another chapter of mylife, but I also became anxiousbecause of the price I had topay. I had to turn over my sonto my mother so I could focuson my studies and finish assoon as possible.

The separation from myson eventually triggered feel-ings that I thought I hadresolved. I became sad anddepressed and once againI turned to the comfort ofpartying and friends. I wouldcome home to the Philippinesevery year to visit my familyand spend time with my son,but each time I flew back to

Canada it broke my heart.In time I finished school

and my spirits lifted. I got soexcited about the prospect ofgetting a good job so I couldsupport myself and my son.But this was the time whenthe world economy took asteep dive. It became diffi-cult to find a job. The wholethought was depressing and itwas only a matter of time be-fore I too became depressed.

Soon after I found myselfback in the Philippines forwhat I thought was one of myusual vacations. I soon gotbored and depressed and Itried to persuade my mother

to allow me to go back to

Canada. Ironically, I droppedher this line, Mom, I want tofind myself. I was implyingthat I needed some kind ofself-discovery but, in truth, allI had in mind was to go backso I could party with my nega-tive friends back in Toronto.

Well, be careful what youask for, you might just get it.A couple of months after thatconversation, they put me inan ambulance and whisked meaway to this place called SELF.

Serendipitously, however, itwas in this place that I finallyfound real friends, a real fam-ily, and most importantly thereal me.

At SELF, the journey ofrecovery and discovery wasquite difficult. To really dis-cover myself, I had to facemy mirrors and identify whatneeded to be stripped off. Iprobably set a record here inSELF for being the only resi-

dent that everyone wanted toconfront and encounter all the

time. What made it even morepainful was the fact that mostof them were my subordinates.In short, I was insensitive anda bad role model.

My initial reaction was tofeel hurt. I felt betrayed by myown peers. But as I reflectedand sat in the Bilog thecircle of truth I remem-bered all the seminars we hadwith Kuya Mart regarding theneed for humility to confrontyourself in the eyes and heartsof others. That by itself gaveme the courage to face myfears and then my peers.

I swallowed my pride, tookcourage to apologize and, oneby one, resolved the feelingsI created in them. From thatday on, I began to change. Itwas amazing! From that timeon, I resolved to always makethings right.

Soon after I had to face

my parents many times. Itwas hard. But I did with themwhat I learned to do with mypeers and, wow, things startedto fall in its proper place.

All told, the many dif-ficulties I faced in my journeybecame the graces I neededto cope with my further re-alizations in SELF. When Ibecame a Reentry, my growthrapidly increased. With themany trainings and processesI underwent, I soon became aFacilitator.

The blessings just kept oncoming.

One day, the Vice Presidentof DAYTOP InternationalAJ visited SELF in June2011. Before he left the facil-ity, he pulled me aside andsaid, Denise, keep the lightburning for everybody. Natu-rally, I was flattered.

But then, I had a flashbackof one of my past meditation

sessions when I saw a candle.

Graduation Speech

Reborn in the Spirit

+continued on page 31

Just like the grain of wheat that has to die

before it can bear fruit, I too had to die

in order to be reborn in the Spirit.


15/32


A MOST MEMORABLE DAY The SELF Family marked the 20th Foundation Day of its healing community with a whole

day of frolicking under the sun and a program of remembrance at Hacienda Darasa in Tanauan City, Batangas.

By Luis Del RosarioPre-reentry

TO celebrate its 20thFoundation Day, theentire SELF commu-

nity went on a family outingon September 12 to HaciendaDarasa, a resort in nearbyTanauan City, Batangas.

As it is owned by the fam-ily of Graduate Makki Mala-banan, SELF enjoyed the ex-clusive use of the entire resortcomplex for the day.

The outing started at7:30 amwith members of theSELF Mountain Bike Clubboarding their bikes and tak-ing a 30-minute head start onthe rest of the family to pedalall the way to the resort some20 kilometers away.

With near perfect syn-chronicity, both the bikers andmain SELF caravan arrivedat Hacienda Darasa about8:30 amwhere they werewarmly welcomed by Makkiand her mother Gloria.

Everyone proceeded to thefunction hall where Mass wascelebrated by Fr. Junie Maralit,rector of the St. Francis DeSales Seminary. In his hom-ily, Fr. Junie talked about theimportance of making good

use of the second chance Godgives us all, very timely and REHAB CAN BE COOL Residents enjoy the pool at Hacienda Darasa and get a taste of the lighter side of staying sober.

fitting words for the occasion.After the Mass, morning

snacks were served. Theneveryone changed into swimsuits and headed for the largeswimming pool where every-one had a great time. Somesimply relaxed by the pool sidewhile others horsed aroundbuilding a human pyramid.

Throughout the morningchips and soda were served inthe huts by the pool. As anadded bonus an endless supplyof rambutan from the trees inthe resort was also served.

By noontime, exhaustedand still hungry, everyonerepaired to the pavilion for asumptuous lunch buffet.

After getting their fill, thefamily formed a large circle fora commemorative programthat began with brief remarksfrom VP for AdministrationSockie Averilla and ProgramDirector Lea Tumbado.

Then, the residents wereeach asked to take a piece ofcolored paper, write what the

20 years of SELF meant tothem, and then share this withthe group.

The highlight of the processwas the sharing of the seniorstaff members. Recalling theirgrowing up moments in SELF,each recounted the differentways the healing communityhad become a special part of

their lives as it helped shapethem into the persons theyhave become today.

SELF Founder Martin In-fante capped the proceedingswith his own memorable andfunny tales of how SELF .

After the program, merien-da was served then everyoneprepared to leave for home.

Again, the bikers left ahead ofthe caravan but everyone wasback in the facility by 4:00 pm.

All told, the family outingcum commemorative programwas a wonderful way to markSELFs 20th Foundation Dayand will certainly become aday many of the participantswill fondly remember.

20th Foundation Day

Family Outing


16/32


SELFs 20th Anniversary Gala Dinner ShowTaal View House | October 30, 2012

THE grand celebrationof SELFs 20th found-ing anniversary washeld on October 30 at the TaalView House residential facilityin Talisay, Batangas, featuring agala dinner show dubbed 20thAnniversary Extravaganza.

Some 150 family membersand friends came to mark the

occasion headed by the guestsof honor who had flown allthe way from New York City Etan Merrick, the chair ofDaytop Village Foundation, andher vice president Aloysius AJJoseph.

They were joined by Danger-ous Drugs Board (DDB) Under-

secretary Edgar Galvante whoread a message from the DDBChairman congratulating SELFfor its inspiring achievementsand DDB Assistant SecretaryDr. Benjie Reyes who had initi-ated SELFs ongoing trainingprogram for field personnel ofthe Department of Health.

The program of activities fea-

tured an awards section wherepeople who had made importantcontributions to the accom-plishment of SELFs vision andmission were duly recognized. Italso included the launching oftwo publications.

The festivities opened witha Mass by Fr. Junie Maralit at

3:00 PM in the Lower Housequadrangle where a huge tentwas pitched complete with tablesettings to accommodate all theguests. In his homily Fr. Junieaptly talked about the endlesschances God gives everyone toredeem themselves and offeredthanksgiving for SELFs workin this area over the past two

decades.A scrumptious dinner fol-

lowed immediately after whicheveryone proceeded to theSacred Heart Auditorium forthe program proper.

Hosted by Liza Robinson,a stalwart of SELFs theaterproductions through the years,

the 20th Anniversary Extrava-ganza proved to be both quiteentertaining and deeply moving.Judging from the loud applauseand cheers of those in atten-dance it was a rousing success.

Following therapeutic com-munity (TC) practice, after thesinging of the national anthemthe Serenity Prayer and the TC

Philosophy were recited, led byAftercare residents MoniqueGuevara and Gabriel Avancea,respectively.

SELFs Vice President of theBoard Peter Stevens then wel-comed everyone and thankedall those who had supported theFoundation throughout the past20 years, especially the staff andthe Family Association, for theirsteadfast dedication.

This was immediately fol-lowed by an explosive front actentitled Christmas Must Go Onby the Lower House residents.It proved to be a big hit andset the mood for the rest of theprogram.

The recognitions portion ofthe program ensued, startingwith Undersecretary Galvantereading the message of DDBChairman Antonio Villar, whonoted that we are commemo-rating an institutions 20th yearof ... working at understanding

the suffering, the uncertainty,

Peter Stevens welcomes everyoneto the celebration.

Celebrating20 yearsas a healing

community

+ continued on page 18THANKSGIVING Fr. Junie Maralit celebrates Holy Mass with the SELF Family and guests at the Quadrangle.

The guests of honor: Daytops EtanMerrick and Aloysius Joseph.


17/32

17THE SELF Journal VOLUME XX NUMBER 2PHOTO GALLERY

Host Liza Robinson. The three culprits: Roman, Shaun and Monique.

The Juniors dance to the tune of Tuloy Na Tuloy Pa Rin Ang Pasko.

SELF Master Showman Danilo Noche singing his original songAng Paskong Nais Ko.

The would-be escapees get a TC Haircut to the tune ofHark How The Bells.

Upper House cast in Christmas That Almost Never Was.

Lower House residents strike a proud pose at the end of the front act Christmas Must Go On.Lower House residents pine for One More Merry Christmas.

The familys hopeful member: Luis.

THE SELF TC THEATRE


18/32


and the sadness that substancedependency causes to individu-als, families and communities.He congratulated SELF for be-ing a constant beacon of hopethat sobriety can be regained.

(The full text of DDBs message

can be read on page 19.)

Board Consultant Boch Paviathen read the speech of BoardMember Jess Hofilea who hadsuddenly taken ill and could notattend the festivities. EntitledThe Champions of SELF it ex-tolled the dedicated service ofthe foundations staff that is akey to its continuing success.

Boch and Peter next did thehonors of citing the staff mem-

bers who had completed 10 and20 years of service in SELF.

The 10 Year Service Awardwent to Cook Estrelita R. Daz,Auditor Ma. Victoria L. Formo-so, Admin Head Lenie MargaretB. Magat, and MaintenanceHead Winnie A. Sulit.

Two original staff membersreceived the 20 Year ServiceAward VP for Finance Vir-ginia T. David and PhysicalPlant Director Jimmy E. Nalilin.

The next to be recognizedwere the AVENTEK Mountain-eers who had been SELFs part-ner in conducting the annualOutdoor Survival Skills Workshopthat became an important com-ponent of the personality andcharacter development programfor both residents and staff since

the first year of operations.When Jojo Santos, the presi-

dent of AVENTEK, came up onstage to receive the certificate ofrecognition, he surprised every-one when he suddenly blew hiscamp whistle summoning thekey members of his team. To-gether they presented to SELFPresident Martin R. Infante aframed collection of survivaltools to also honor the 20-yearpartnership of providing lifeskills to recovering dependents.

The segment ended with theRecognition of Years of Sobrietythat is traditional in TC gather-ings. Graduates and recoveringstaff and guests stood up to beacknowledged according totheir years of sobriety. Specialmention was given to graduates

No. 1 (Leo Navales) and No. 2(Pepito Reyes) of SELF who had

come to join the celebration.A much needed intermission

ensued. The evenings host LizaRobinson, a professional stageactress who has been a regularin SELFs presentations, sangtwo songs.

The first song, To Where YouAre, was a special tribute toSELF staff member Vickie Infan-te, who succumbed the previousAugust to a recurrence of cancerafter a valiant five-year struggle.The song, accompanied by avideo showing clips of Vickieslife and work in the facility, wasespecially poignant because sheand Liza are first cousins andMartins nieces and many mem-bers of their family were present,

including the father and siblings

THE RECOGNITIONS AND BOOK LAUNCHING

Boch Pavia(leftmost) and Peter Stevens flank the 10 Year Service Awardees: (L to R) Admin Head Lenie MargaretB. Magat, Maintenance Head Winnie A. Sulit, Auditor Ma. Victoria L. Formoso, and Cook Estrelita R. Daz ...

... and the original staff members and 20 Year Service Awardees: PhysicalPlant Director Jimmy E. Nalilin and VP for Finance Virginia T. David.

SELF President Martin R. Infante receives a framed collection of survival tools from theAVENTEK Mountaineers led by its president, Jojo Santos (leftmost) honoring 20 years ofpartnership in holding the annual Outdoor Survival Skills Workshop.

Members of the study team (L to R) Boch Pavia, Denise Dangilan, Gabriel Avancea andMichael Tuason present a copy of the new Manual of Operations to Aldo Infante, the young-est member of SELFs Board of Trustees, signifying the Foundations hopes for the future.

+continued on page 31

+continued from page 16


19/32


Congratulations from DDB

Celebrating 20 years of hope

that sobriety can be regained

Editors NotE: The followingis the message of Chairman of the

Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB)Antonio A. Villar Jr. to SELF on

the occasion of its 20th FoundingAnniversary, which was delivered

on his behalf by DDB Undersec-retary Edgar C. Galvante during

the 20th Anniversary Gala Din-ner Night on October 30, 2012.

ON the occasion ofthe 20th anniversaryof Self Enhancement

for Life Foundation, it is both

a pleasure and an honor forme to express congratulationsand good wishes, in behalf ofthe Dangerous Drugs Board(DDB).

The DDB recognizes how

much SELF has contributedto the development of treat-ment and rehabilitation inthe country. On its own ac-cord, it has stood to weatherthe challenges of the years,and has grown with each pe-riod of changes.

On its 20th year, we arecelebrating with SELF notonly the efforts and innova-tions it has established in itsperformance as an institution,but more so because of thelives that it has helped turnaround for the best.

More than SELFs institu-tional pride, I believe, whatwe are celebrating is thefoundations contribution tothe reclaiming of individualsdreams.

You see, this is what SELFhas long stood for over 20years before all of us: Hopethat sobriety can be regained,that life can be lived again.

We are all in the same page

in understanding that thethreat of illicit drugs amongour people is one which prop-erly frightens many.

But this threat is one thatcannot be met only withsheer force; it must be metwith the understanding of thelives that start to waste awayupon the onset of depen-dency.

And today, we are com-memorating an institutions20th year of pursuing justthat, of offering and workingat understanding the suffer-ing, the uncertainty, and thesadness that substance depen-dency causes to individuals,families and communities.

In its existence, SELF hasproven to us its dedication to

helping rebuild lives and re-kindle the passion to live.

At this point, I think it ismost apt that we, once again,enjoin individuals and institu-tions to also take to heart the

advocacy against drug abuse.We see before us SELF, in

all its 20 years of experienceand successes, and I believewe must all be inspired by theexample they have set to con-tinue braving the challengesof our collective advocacyagainst drug abuse. It is ourmost fervent hope that youcarry on with your commit-ment.

We have the moral ac-countability to help saveour fellow Filipinos from thecrutches of dependency. Letus contribute whatever wecan to meet this end.

Indeed, we are fortunatethat institutions like SELFstand to remind us that thisadvocacy we have is rea-

sonable and its challengesconquerable that in thisstruggle, we will prevail.

Once again, congratula-tions and more power toSELF.

Early in 2012 SELF began training the field staff of the Department of Health (DOH) in the rudiments of theTherapeutic Community. Today four batches with a total of 19 trainees have undergone SELFs TC Basic Manage-ment Course. A photo exhibit of the training was on display during SELFs 20th anniversary celebration. Photoshows special guests who viewed the exhibit (L to R): DDB Undersecretary Edgar Galvante, SELF President

Martin Infante, DDB Assistant Secretary Dr. Benjie Reyes, SELF Program Director Lea Tumbado, Daytop VillageFoundation Chair Etan Merrick, SELF Board Member Joy Infante, and SELF Graduate Denise Dangilan.

Chief Protocol Officer of the President of the PhilippinesMiguel Perez-Rubio (right), a long time supporter ofSELF, talks shop with Vice President of Daytop In-

ternational Aloysius Joseph (left) and DDB Assistant

Secretary Dr. Benjie Reyes who initiated the programto train field personnel of the Department of Health.


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WISH GRANTED Residents show off the appliances and musical instruments

that were purchased with the earnings from the Yuletide activites.

Christmas in the TC

A new Christmas tradition?

ITS fast becoming a tradi-tion, the Christmas Din-ner Show in Taal View

House for the families of Pri-mary Phase residents. Bankingon the success of the first two,SELF once again held theevent on December 8.

Entitled Christmas Extrava-ganza 2012 it was basicallya reprise of the musical actspresented on SELFs 20th An-niversary Celebration but but-tressed by additonal acts fromguest performers.

All told the special eventwas meant to help ease thepain and sorrow of being sepa-rated from loved ones especial-ly during the Yuletide seasonthat is so dear to Filipinos.

The families who attendare overjoyed at being ableto witness their loved ones inrecovery break free from theirinhibitions and self-limiting

behaviors and shine on stage.The event also generates

income that helps to fundthe Christmas wish list of theSELF Family.

This year no less than SELFPresident & Founder MartinInfante with a company of res-idents and staff kicked off theshow with an explosive JingleBells Salsa number.

Then SELFs very ownMaster ShowmanDaniloNoche took to the stage as themain host with Reentry resi-dent Roman as his sidekick.

They welcomed the crowdand got everyone laughingwith a couple of jokes and hi-larious antics then introducedthe next act the PrimaryProgram residents in their TCrendition of the Gangnam Styledance craze.

Then the FAITH Academystudents calmed everyone

Thus, the fund-raisingtargets were met but, equallyimportant, the show itself wasa big hit. It was now up to theRoadshow team to bring homethe bacon to realize the entireWish List.

The Caroling Roadshow,ran from December 16-23with only six bookings. Com-pared to the target of 10 book-ings, it seemed that this yearsRoadshow would not be sosuccessful.

Nevertheless, the Road-

show gang remained passion-ate and performed in each

house with gusto to the delightof their hosts. In the end theCaroling also proved to be abig success.

Apart from the items in theWish List, the SELF Familywas also able to procure a newwashing machine and dryerplus an electric acoustic guitar.The community also sharedpart of its gains with the castand crew.

Once again the experienceproved that when people worktogether as one towards a

common goal nothing is im-possible.

Xmas Wish ListBy Jojo Quirosreentry resident

EARLY in DecemberSELF President MartinInfante held a meeting

with the officers and staff todiscuss the goals of this yearsYuletide activities.

They drew up a ChristmasWish List that included: ca-tered dinners for Noche Buenaand New Years Eve, a newkeyboard for the choir, holidayT-shirts for everyone, and thetraditional share for the SRCCkitty.

The staff also wished thatthe expenses for their Christ-mas party could be covered.

To raise the money neededto make these wishes cometrue, the Family agreed to do

two fund-raising projects.The first was a third edition

of the Christmas Dinner Showon December 8. For a fee thatincluded dinner, SELF shirtsand the 20th anniversarysouvenir book, families couldenjoy an evening of songsand dances performed by theresidents and special guestperformers.

The second was the Car-oling Roadshow that bringsthe presentation of the Up-per House residents into thehomes of FAM members,friends and supporters of SELF.

The Dinner Show becameworrisome because with justa few days to go, only a fewtables had been reserved.Everyone, however, remaineddetermined to put out a greatshow. On the day itself, book-ings were made left and right

and soon all the tables weresold out.

down with an angelic a cap-pella rendition of three Christ-mas songs.

Still, it was a TC event soLower House residents Eug-enie, Miguel and Bobby sharedtheir feelings about Christmas.

This was followed by theFront Act entitled ChristmasMust Go On by the LowerHouse residents that madesome families break into tears.

Martin next took the stageand thanked everyone fortheir support and introducedFAM member Mel Valera whodelivered the Christmas Mes-sage.

Stella Ignacio followed witha dynamic rendition ofSantaClaus Is Coming To Town that

perked up everyone. Then shebrought the house down witha naughty routine with mem-bers of the audience while do-ing a medley of APO HikingSociety songs.

Only the nights Final Actcould come close to Stellasfiery show. The Upper Houseresidents rose to the occasionwith a killer performance ofChristmas That Almost NeverWas.

Curtain call became a fren-zy of clapping and cheering, asresidents and families got thechance to wave and blow fly-ing kisses to each other.

The show had gone withouta hitch, short and sweet, thenit was time to bid adieu.


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REKINDLING OLD FRIENDSHIPS After a respite of seven years, the SELF

Family was excited to once more carol the Garcias in Alabang. Posing with theRoadshow gang is Freddie and Glo Garcia (front row, 3rd and 4th from right).

ALL TIME FAVORITE The cast strikes a pose at the end of its opening act

at the residence of SELF Board Member Jess Hofilea, who has been a regularhost of the Roadshow for the last 12 years.

Stella Ignacio serenades Mel.Rumel, Danilo and Monique

Arnold as Whizziethe wizard of TC.

FAITH Academy students sing a cappella.

Martin and salseros open the show with an explosive Jingle Bells salsa number. Roman and Master Showman Danilo

PHOTO GALLERY

Jojo, Shaun and Vivian

FAM Member Mel Valera Lower House residents do the viral Gangnam Style dance.


22/32


Aftercare Testimony

The long road to finding my resolve

PROUD DIRECTOR Jason beams with pride after being called on stage by the

cast during the curtain call for the20th Anniversary Extravaganza.

By Jason CordovaaFtercare resident

ICAME to SELF in 2008to address my drug andgambling addictions.

When I graduated from theprogram in September 2010,I earned the trust of the man-agement and was assigned asthe Program Head of the Pri-mary Phase. With this nobletask, I felt I was going to beokay.

Deep inside, however, Iknew I was hiding something.Little did I know that thisdenial would soon cause aninescapable relapse.

On July 2011, I wentAWOL. I was on a day offwhen I suddenly chose not toreport back to work. Instead,I went to a gambling casino. Iknew my peers and superiorswere concerned about me butI was too preoccupied to be

bothered.A week later, I talked with

Kuya Mart and he advisedme to return to the facility tomake things right. I heeded hisadvice, went into Reflection fora couple of weeks and eventu-ally got back to work.

Then in August that sameyear, I went AWOL again. Iwent right back to the casinoand gambled my salary away.Observing that my old habitswere back, my mom sent meback to the program in Sep-tember.

After a month in the EMU,I rejoined the Primary Phaseand worked my way up toReentry. Come May 2012,however, I ran into financialdifficulties and found myselfback in the gambling casinoonce more.

News got to my mom andshe did not hesitate to bringme back to the facility for

the third time. This time, theprogram was tougher on me.

They made me stay at themain gate of the facility whereI was to reflect on what I re-ally wanted to do with my life.

At first I really wanted toleave the facility and addressmy problems in the ways that

I knew. I didnt care whatpeople would think and pur-posely made myself obliviousto the feelings of my wife andfamily.

It was a battle betweengood and evil. Like the storyof the two wolves, I was feed-ing the angry wolf day in andday out. The good, humbleand submissive wolf in me, Istarved. A part of me wantedto run away from my problemwhile the other wanted to sur-render, lay down my cards andask for help.

In Retrospect

Looking back at all thetimes I was processed in theprogram, I never shared mygambling issues and how I wasdealing with my triggers. Itwas ironic that I was able tohelp others process their issuesbut couldnt resolve my own.

Being a graduate, I felt that

I was invincible to these temp-tations. I coped with cravings

by doing multiple tasks andworking hard at my job, think-ing that the triggerswould allgo away with time.

When I encountered finan-cial pressures, I did not knowwhat to do. One thing that I

realized later was When peopledont know what to do, they dowhat they know. In my case, Iresorted to what I knew best gambling. Hence, my fam-ily suffered.

Letting Go of My Ego

My ego got the best of meand I had to reflect for a longtime. One day as I was at thebrink of walking out of thefacility, a letter from my wifewas sent my way.

In that letter, she expressedher utmost disgust, disappoint-ment and frustration for theway I was behaving. She con-demned my actions and re-minded me how it was affect-ing her life and those of ourchildren. I was in shock afterreading the letter. I realizedthat my life was in crisis andthat it was time to surrendermy ego to a Higher Power.

In August 2012, I finally let

go of my ego. I broke down,cried like a baby and asked

for help. I surrendered myselfcompletely to the TC andcommitted to face my dreadedgambling problem.

The Breakthrough

A few months ago, theprogram arranged for an Inter-vention with my mother. I wasfinally able to reveal to her anepisode of sexual molestationthat I experienced when I wasonly four years old. In thatsession, I was able to vent myfeelings of shock, disgust andshame and went on to expresshow much I needed her helpthen but was so afraid to askfor it thinking she would scoldor beat me instead.

In response, my mothertold me that she would neverdo something like that. Shewas very sad about what I hadgone through and asked whatshe could do to help makethings right.

Instantly, I realized thatthere was really nothing tofear and that it was only Iwho started these wrongfulthoughts. I immediately foundresolution as I realized thatall the things I did in my pastwere a result of my thinkingerrors.

Since then, I have beenable to redirect myself to theright path. I still need to makemyself whole and am cau-tiously rebuilding the trust ofmy family.

I am now back in the Af-tercare Phase as a staff traineeand have been working closelywith Kuya Martin in direct-ing the Christmas musicals.It helps a great deal that he isgiving me the same trust hegave me before.

Taking charge of the showsis a big privilege which I dofrom a grateful heart. It givesme the chance to share the

talents I have been given forthe greater glory of God!


23/32


By Vickie Infante >Facility adMin Head

SELF held a conferenceusing Open Space Tech-nology (OST) for mem-

bers of the Upper House TCwith Dr. Luchie P. Ticzon, anorganization development con-sultant, and Board ConsultantBoch Pavia, as facilitators.

OST is an approach forhosting meetings or confer-ences without any formal

agenda.

#1Whoever comes

are the right people.

On July 11-12, 2012, resi-dents and staff of the UpperHouse gathered in the SacredHeart Auditorium (SHA)without any clear idea of whatwould transpire except for anoverall theme Celebrating20 Years of SELF, Our Best andUtmost for the New Season ofGrace.

The conference started at7:00 pm on July 11 and every-one sat in one big circle. Asthe facilitators explained howOST worked, we learned thatit is guided by five basic prin-ciples: 1) Whoever comes arethe right people; 2) Whenever itstarts, is the right time; 3) Wher-ever it happens, is the right place;

4) Whatever happens, is the onlything that could have; and 5) Its

ITS OVER! The participants pose for posterity at the end of the Open Space Event at the Sacred Heart Auditorium.

banded together and sched-ules were adjusted. Groupsthen spontaneously formedwith those interested in atopic and came to discuss it atthe appointed time.

All in all, there were threesessions in the morning withmultiple discussions occurringat the same time. Among thetopics of interests that werediscussed with much gustowere the building of a chapel,expanding the range of servic-es offered by SELF, strength-ening the Aftercare group andoptimizing staff days off.

In the closing session, wewere once again asked to envi-sion our names and chooseanother letter from it. Asidefrom a new personal trait

beginning with that letterthat we chose, we also had toselect a word to sum up whatwe would take home from theOpen Space.

Finally, to attest to thechange and action that wechose to champion we gavethree commitments to thegroup.

#5Its over

when its over.

All in all, the Open SpaceEvent was quite an experi-ence. It was very differentfrom what we were all usedto. Here at SELF we stress theimportance of following anagenda to facilitate our meet-ings.

Who would have thoughtthat the Open Space approachwould be just as effective a

tool in identifying and ad-dressing issues?

over when its over.In addition, it is governed

by The Law of Two Feet, thatis, everyone knows what theyneed and can take care ofthemselves. If anyone wishesto leave the room or do some-thing, they are free to do so.

With these as background,the rest of the evening wasdedicated to preparatory activi-ties for the OST proper thatwas to take place the next day.

The first activity was a vi-

sioning exercise followed by afew group dynamic exercisesthat got everyone buzzing withexcitement. For the nightsclosing activity, we were di-vided into groups and asked toshare an instance in our livesat SELF when we felt mostalive and unstoppable.

#2Whenever it starts,is the right time.

When each group present-ed, their creative juices wereput to a test. Most groups sangbut one made an outstandingdramatic presentation.

It was a fun first day andsoon it was time to sleep.

Day two began bright andearly with a short but exhila-rating exercise. We then beganwith a review of last nightsactivities. All the papers of

the work we accomplished lastnight had all been pasted on

one wall. Another wall hadthe creative outputs from ourmost memorable experiencesin SELF.

#3Wherever it happens,

is the right place.

The two walls representedthe pillars of riches andstrength that the organiza-tion had built over the past 20

years the personal growthof its staff and residents inservice and the knowledge,experience and team spiritthat SELF had accumulatedthrough the years.

With these everyone agreedthat the first 20 years weretruly worth celebrating. It wastime to focus on Our Best andUtmost for the New Season ofGrace.

The Open Space Eventproper began with a sessioncalled the Marketplace. Herewe all wrote topics of inter-est on a sheet of paper, an-nounced the time when theproponent was going to lead adiscussion on it, and stuck iton the walls of the SHA.

#4Whatever happens,

is the only thing thatcould have.

Self-organizing took placeas proponents of related topics

DR. LUCHIE P. TICZONOrganization Development Consultant

Organizational Development

Open Space Event


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EditorsNotE: The Fr. Lambertus

Somar Hall was inaugurated onDecember 3, 2011 in the absenceof Fr. Somar who was then under

medical treatment. On July 18, hefinally came with a delegation of Kasih

Mulia officers to see the edifice that

had been named after him. In thefollowing article, Gabriel recounts his

experience of the visit.

By Gabriel AvanceaaFtercare resident

THE much awaited visitof Fr. Lambertus Somarfinally took place on

July 18. Upon arriving at SELF,the delegation from the KasihMulia Foundation (KMF) wereled down the stairs to the quad-rangle, then through a corridorof residents who formed anhonor line to the new building.Upon first setting his eyes on thebuilding, Fr. Somar broke into abroad smile of appreciation.

Escorted by SELFs officers,

they proceeded to the secondlevel to redo the unveiling of the

Inaugural Marker, this time with

Fr. Somar doing the honors andblessing it. Then they touredthe new building and proceededto the Conference Room for aspecially prepared lunch withofficers of the Upper House.

After the meal, they wentdown to the Sacred Heart Au-ditorium where the rest of theSELF Family awaited the guests.

SELF Founder & PresidentMartin Infante opened the pro-gram by telling Fr. Somar howsad the SELF family was whenthey learned about his suddenhospitalization that preventedhim from attending the inaugu-ration. He went on to expressthe gratitude of the SELF Familyfor his generous contributionthat made the new building pos-sible. Then he called Fr. Somaron stage to receive a framed pic-ture of the Fr. Lambertus SomarHallas a small token of SELFsa

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