Induction Period (0-30 Days)

The Induction Process is a period of time where a woman is introduced to the program.  At this time, the women learn to acclimate to the daily discipline that will be required of them.  In addition, because of the mental state a woman is in when she enters the program, she will need this induction time to clear her mind from the negative psychological impact that drugs brought to her life and learn to find new life in Christ.

During this time, a woman learns how to journal and hear from the Lord.  Journaling is the most important tool learned at The Refuge Ranch, Inc.; whereas, this is where a woman learns to have direct communication with God.

When arriving at The Ranch, women are given an “older sister” (a woman in the Discipleship Phase of the program) to spend the first six days teaching them how to journal and hear from the Lord.  This is also a time where she will participate in a classroom environment to learn specific lessons such as Salvation, Journaling, Hearing God, DMI (Daily Moral Inventory), TSI (Time Stewardship Inventory), Rules, Fantasy/Reality and the Sociogram.  The “big sister” serves as a mentor to not only teach the rules and Ranch specifics, but to also give her the specific one-on-one attention necessary to make it through one of the most trying and critical times of the program.  To sum up, the Induction Phase is a woman’s new start to building a healthy foundation to a whole new lifestyle.

Orientation Period (6 to 8 to Weeks)

During the Orientation Process of the program, the teachings are directed towards two main areas: trust and ownership.  The first priority is to begin to develop the trust in God, other women and themselves that is needed to begin to break down the walls that keep them bound in the addiction, which destroyed their life.  Second, and of utmost importance, a woman begins to take ownership of her life and the choices she has made.  Through the Regeneration Contract, a woman learns how to look at her addiction and the devastation it has had on her life and on the lives of others.  As a result, she begins to take responsibility for her actions and develops an attitude of integrity.

Specifically, the program has the women look at the effects of areas in their life where God, themselves and others are concerned.  They are asked to look at the effects their addictions have had legally, financially and relationally through making an amends list for the wrongs done to others.  This results in their realization of the key relationships and opportunities lost in their lives.  Without help, most addicts remain in a state of fantasy, which allows them to continue in the cycle of addiction.  Orientation implements the beginning steps to help a woman break free of that cycle.

One last key event that takes place in the Orientation Process is where a woman puts up her “Houses”.  This is where a woman presents, to classmates and staff, her life’s timeline of key events that have shaped her into her present persona.  Here is where she will hopefully see the events in her life that have brought woundedness, and the consequences of her actions.  At the end, class leaders will help her receive input and provide insight to her regarding issues of denial and taking responsibility for her past.  Additionally, they will walk her through areas of unforgiveness and guide her in prayer for herself and others.  This period is just one more step in the process of allowing God to get to the heart of a woman and reshape her into the image of God.

Regeneration (8 to 12 Weeks)

In this phase women will learn both the physical and psychological aspects of chemical dependency and learn to take a deeper responsibility for their recovery.  This level of the program explores stages of growing dependency on chemicals and what commitments are necessary on the road to recovery.  It includes scientific information on chemical dependency as well as insights into the damage done to our thinking processes.  It is important to see how the mind has been contaminated in order to understand the controlling effects of addiction.  The lessons are also designed to expose the denial and defense mechanisms that are so prevalent in the addict’s life.

The women also begin to be given positions of responsibility on the Ranch, in the home, and with the care of their “younger sisters” as they enter the program.  Small groups also begin to become a part of their recovery.  Frequently women get to participate in these groups where they are encouraged to develop trust with other women, and learn to process their past through forgiveness letters.

Inner Healing (10 Weeks)

Inner Healing takes place throughout the program.  The women in the program are helped to directly focus on the healing needed for their own personal woundedness.  Specifically, Inner Healing begins with a woman looking at her defense mechanisms at a deeper level.  This is necessary to help bring down some of her walls and unify the group through openness and vulnerability; thus, bringing true healing and acceptance.

Some of the issues dealt with in Inner Healing are rejection, the grieving process, judgments, sexual addiction, abortion, sexual and physical abuse and probably most important, forgiveness.  As a result, women are brought to a place of decision and realization.  Most addicts come from a life of dysfunction where many times they were victimized as children.  The problem is that very same hurt that caused anger and unforgiveness has turned them from being a victim into a victimizer.  The women learn to recognize this and are guided into a healing process with the Lord.  Taking ownership and responsibility is a main focal point of this area of the recovery process.  This is one of the reasons we are a regeneration program instead of a rehabilitation program.  We have learned that to simply bring a woman back to her former state is ineffective; instead, God needs to bring about a mental regeneration.  This is achieved, in part, through deep emotional and spiritual healing.

Discipleship (10 Weeks)

Discipleship is the last phase in the 12 month regeneration program.  Here the women are held to the highest standard.  They are the leaders in the program and they are expected to live as such.  The disciples are given myriad leadership opportunities that should encourage a sense of worth.  Some of those positions assigned are jobsite leaders, house monitors, and probably most importantly, when a new sister comes into the program they are responsible for teaching them how to journal and hear from the Lord.

The lessons that are taught in the classroom are meant to challenge faulty belief systems about God and their own personal relationship with Him.  At this phase the level of accountability is even deeper.  The women also return to small groups where they help lead and teach the younger sisters how to write and process the forgiveness letters.  Again, we are teaching important principles such as giving back and helping others.  After Discipleship, the women have completed the program and they go on to graduate.