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One of the first project-based
steps taken by Green Crescent
in the field of rehabilitation was
the establishment of the Green
Crescent Counseling Center. Can
you tell us about how this came to
be?
AsGreenCrescent,wewereawareofthe
inadequacy of the rehabilitation and
counseling services available for the
fight against addiction in our country.
As the public demand for such services
increased, our bylaw was amended in
2013 to include rehabilitation within
the scope of our activities. In 2015,
we launched our Advisory Hotline,
through which expert psychologists
trained in this field would be on hand
to answer the questions of addicts
and their families. Since 2016, we have
opened Green Crescent Training and
Counseling Center where we provide
free psychosocial support services
to alcoholics and drug addicts, and
have developed a unique model that
is ideally suited to our culture. The
services provided by our centers are
client-oriented.
How does treatment progress at
YEDAM? How does the life of an
addict or their relatives change
after consulting YEDAM?
One of our clients sent us a message
saying, “Thank you for restoring color
to my life.” In fact, the answer to your
question lies in this text. The life of
an addict or their relatives starts
to change, turning into something
nice, beautiful, healthy, peaceful and
meaningful from the moment they
contact Green Crescent Training and
Counseling Center. This is because the
addict and their relatives first meet
psychologists trained in the field of
addiction, rather than a non-expert or
call center official. I would say this is
one of the most important features of
our centers. Individuals who contact
us by phone are encouraged to make
an appointment and to start the
treatmentprocess.Inthenextstage,we
determine the appropriate treatment
method for them and refer them for
medical treatment, if necessary. Even
while receiving medical treatment in
these institutions, they can continue
to receive psychological support from
YEDAM. In fact, we deal with an addict
as a whole, along with their families,
social
environments,
economic
conditions, educational attainment
and communication skills. While
providing psychosocial support, we
visit their families and assess their
social environment. If a client needs
to strengthen communication with
their family, we provide support to
the family in communication. Once
our clients reach a certain stage,
we refer them to the workshops of
the Green Crescent Training and
Counseling Center which have two
functions. Firstly, we encourage our
guests to take up social activities
such as handicrafts and sports, and to
improve their skills in the workshops.
Secondly, we help clients acquire
the skills that will help them enter
a profession such as graphic design
and gastronomy. We then help them
to find a job in cooperation with the
Turkish Employment Agency (IŞKUR).
We take care to encourage them to
lead a healthy life, and to turn it into a
lifestyle. All of these are huge changes
in the life of an addict. The person
acquires skills, feels useful and finds
the opportunity to express themselves,
meaning that they regain the meaning
of their existence and start a new life.
In particular, when they find a job, they
feel integrated with society. In other
words, we restore color to their life.
Addicts or their relatives aged 16 years
and over who want to receive support
or treatment can contact us.
Addiction is a problem that
affects the social functioning
of the individual, but that
concerns society as a whole.
The increase in addiction
in recent years has seen
it become one of the most
serious global and social
issues.
Grateful thanks from the mother of a person
receiving psychosocial support at a Green
Crescent Counseling Center…
“Thank you for bringing my son’s color back …”
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