INDIANOLA, Iowa — Harvest Academy helps clients escape addiction, criminal activity or homelessness, but the Indianola program is shying away from the traditional rehab mindset.
Instead, it's turning to a therapeutic community approach.
The academy uses "a group-based approach to anti-social behavior, criminal activity and drug addiction," according to their website.
Tim Krueger, the academy's CEO, said this means a group of people—in this case 12 men—live together and depend on each other.
Though the program is meant for people who have addiction problems or have been in and out of jail, Krueger said it's not a drug or alcohol rehab facility. It's a program that aims to change participants' views on life and help them reflect on why they made bad decisions.
"You're really becoming emotionally intelligent of 'what are my blind spots, my issues that I got to work on,'" Krueger said.
Troy Roberts has been a participant in the program for nearly 10 months.
"I really like that aspect of it, just building relationships," Roberts said.
He came to the academy because he struggled with addiction and had been to jail multiple times.
Roberts said he's been to several rehab programs before, but this one seems to work, which he thinks is because of the way everyone relies on each other.
"We have a saying here when A teaches B my recovery depends on your recovery… If you're doing good, I'm doing good," he said. "So I kind of finally found out what that concept means and I'm actually starting to live it day by day."
The program requires patients to stay 24 months and is the only one like it in the state.
Roberts said the program is free of charge, but participants help run Harvest Academy's moving company to earn their keep and help sustain the house.
Krueger said running the company helps students learn life skills and sets them up for success.
He also said people who stayed in similar programs for two years reduced their chances of drug relapse or incarceration by over 50%. If they stay an extra year, that chance is reduced by more than 80%.
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