Project Exodus Addiction Recovery Strategies

Addiction is an ever-escalating public health crisis that costs lives, devastates families, and contributes to a host of socioeconomic problems.

The most recent global statistics estimate that 36 million people suffer from Substance Use Disorders. In South Africa’s latest National Drug Master Plan, drug and alcohol abuse is described as having reached “epidemic proportions”. Each year, the number of substance dependent individuals increases, especially in low income countries.

In Africa, the number of drug users is expected to climb by 40% by 2030.

Also on the rise today is the prevalence of behavioural disorders related to the addictive use of pornography, gambling, gaming, and the internet. Statistics pertaining to Problematic Pornography Use indicate a widespread issue that is destructively impacting the lives of millions of adults and adolescents, at gains to the pornography industry of $ 13 000 000 000 per year, in the US alone.

Although addiction-related problems continue to multiply, the availability of effective, affordable treatment interventions remains critically low. Private treatment facilities are costly and, to quote the United Nations, “public health responses continue to fall short.”

Lack of treatment accessibility means that 87% of addicted individuals never receive the help that they need to recover. In the United States, only 7% of churches have a ministry programme that addresses struggles with pornography.

To plug existing treatment gaps, the United Nations has, for years, been calling for an upsurge of grassroots strategies. What they have determined is congruent with our lived experience on the front lines of addiction that innovative solutions are desperately needed.

What South Africa and the world needs today is a large-scale replication of cost effective, evidence-based strategies to increase the accessibility and affordability of effective recovery services.

ORGANISATIONAL STRATEGY

Project Exodus is a registered NPC that specialises in the development, delivery, and replication of effective community-driven addiction solutions. 

Our mission is to make evidence-based recovery services accessible in as many neighbourhoods and for as many people as possible. The heart is that no one is left behind, without access to the interventions that they need to recover.

To this end, our team:

o INNOVATES: Develops cutting-edge recovery strategies, in the form of programmes, systems, tools, and resources

o COLLABORATES: Affiliates with individuals, organisations, churches, corporates, and government departments across diverse communities

o EMPOWERS: Equips affiliates to implement, and take ownership of, recovery strategies at a local community level

Project Exodus makes use of an integrative, resolution-orientated approach that has been developed and piloted in rehabilitation settings over decades, with a 78% recovery rate over 2 years. Recovery strategies reflect current advances in the field of addiction treatment and have been developed in accordance with proven international best practice.

Our strategies target individuals with Substance Use Disorders as well as those with related behavioural disorders, such as Problematic Pornography Use, Compulsive Sexual Behavioural Disorder, Gambling Disorder, Gaming Disorder, etc. 

Because of the collateral dysfunction in family systems caused by addiction, strategies are also developed for family members / significant others (known as supporters) in need of their own recovery.

Project Exodus has several core areas of focus in relation to the development, delivery, and replication of recovery strategies, namely·        

Groups:  Project Exodus helps affiliates to establish their own semi-therapeutic recovery groups.  They are equipped through training, mentorship, and the provision of extensive group resources.

Integration into a Recovery Group has been consistently linked with positive rehabilitation outcomes.

Recovery Groups provide members with social and emotional support, empathy, encouragement, and hope.  Groups address denial mechanisms, help members build a new set of core beliefs and are a vital source of accountability.

Exodus Recovery Groups prioritise the working of a recovery programme as well as empowerment through education and skills development.  Sharing of knowledge and resources equips members with the insight and healthy coping mechanisms that sustainable recovery requires.

Outpatient Programmes:   Project Exodus makes 16-week ERS Outpatient Programmes available for affiliates to implement as a recovery service.  Affiliates are equipped to facilitate ERS through facilitator training and the provision of programme materials.

ERS Outpatient Programmes provide an expert, yet economical treatment alternative to Primary Care.  Incorporating comprehensive teachings and a range of therapeutic interventions, ERS uses a process of education, personal reflection, and practical application to address maladaptive mechanisms that underpin the cycles of addiction and dysfunction.

Resources:   Project Exodus has developed libraries of expert recovery tools and resources that are continually updated and expanded upon.

Resources include:

• Facilitator Training manuals and presentations
• Group Facilitator guides
• Recovery Group topics, teachings, and activities
• Recovery Group documents
• 12 Step programmes
• Life Recovery Planning guidelines
• Life Story guidelines
• Screening and Assessment tools
• ERS Programme workbooks and presentations

Education, Training and Equipping:   Project Exodus regularly hosts Facilitator Training Workshops to equip and upskill participants.

Recovery Conferences educate communities on addiction, destigmatise the disorder, and present new recovery strategies.  In 2023, Project Exodus will host South Africa's first Pornography Recovery Conference.

Awareness presentations at schools and churches also form part of this area of focus.

Recovery Coaching:   Project Exodus facilitates certified training through which individuals are able to achieve professional Recovery Coach qualifications.

Certified Recovery Coaches provide specialised, one-on-one recovery coaching that is a valuable service as part of a multidimensional approach.

Online Platforms:   Project Exodus is extremely passionate about the opportunities that online platforms and mobile applications provide to increase the accessibility of addiction recovery solutions.

Digital therapeutics are now an FDA-approved strategy in the treatment of addiction in the USA.  Online platforms make recovery resources easily and confidentially available, anywhere, anytime, at a fraction of the cost of traditional treatment modalities.

In 2022, we launched our first addiction recovery mobile application that is currently available on the Play Store (Android) and App Store (IOS).  The Exodus Recovery app features a Life Recovery Plan Builder, Accountability Interfact and ERS Outpatient Programme in an online format.

Our social media channels are utilised for addiction awareness and to spread messages of recovery. 

Beneficiaries and Impact

The ongoing feasibility of Project Exodus as a viable, scalable, and socially valuable organisation is substantiated by its track record over the past 3 years.

Our beneficiaries consist of men and women, across varied demographics, primarily from the following categories:

• Individuals seeking recovery from their own addiction/s
• Individuals seeking to help a loved one with their addiction/s
• Individuals seeking recovery from the impact of a loved one's addiction
• Organisations seeking recovery strategies to implement in their own communities
• Individuals benefitting from a better understand of addiction and recovery

In terms of reach, our current indicators are as follows:

• 61 Recovery Groups established
• 1 048 Average weekly Recovery Group attendees
• 10 ERS Outpatient Centres established
• 85 Average weekly ERS Programme attendees
• 50 Facilitator Training Wokshops conducted
• 2 114 Group Facilitators trained
• 60 Recovery Coaches trained
• 3 700 Mobile App downloads
• 34 000 000 Facebook page reach
• 775 000 Facebook post engagements

Project Exodus's staffing structure consists of eleven full-time, permanent staff, as well as five full-time volunteers with 982 cumulative years of experience in many fields e.g.:

• Sales - 41 years
• Business - 159 years
• Coaching / Counselling - 52 years
• Teaching - 31 years
• Engineering - 14 years
• Finance - 67 years
• Hospitality - 22 years
• IT - 9 years
• Leadership Positions - 103 years
• Marketing, Media & Design - 72 years
• Medical / Health - 34 years.

However, what makes the team unique is the 272 cumulative years of addiction experience and 106 cumulative years in recovery.  Twelve of the team members walk their own journey of recovery from addiction and four have found recovery from the chaos of a child or spouse's addiction.  The heart of Exodus is lived daily by all members of the team and it is this passion that drives the strategies of the programme.

Goals and Objectives

Making effective addiction recovery strategies accessible to more and more individuals and families, nationally and internationally, is our goal.  Our vision is to reach the 87% of addicted men and women who would, otherwise, never recieve adequate treatment.

Achieving this requires that we:

a) continue to develop, deliver and replicate pioneering recovery strategies (systems, programmes, resources and tools); and,

b) harness thhe power of digital technology to 

• increase the visibility and accessibility of Project Exodus solutions
• expand our capacity for education and training
• enable large-scale replication of Recovery Groups, ERS Outpatient Programmes, Recovery Coaching qualifications, Recovery Houses (sober living homes) and Consultancy.

"Public health responses continue to fall short.  Effective treatment interventions based on scientific evidence and in line with international human rights obligations are not as available or accessible as they need to be, and national governments and the international community need to step up interventions to address this gap." Executive Summary, World Drug Report, UNODC, 2019

Project Exodus recognises the desperate need for new strategies that increase the accessibility and affordability of effective recovery services.  New strategies must be:

• Current
• Restorative
• Resolution-orientated
• Affordable
• Integrated
• Collaborative
• Sustainable
• Accessible
• Evidence-based

Project Exodus has a clear strategy blueprint including resources, programmes and services.

1. We innovative through programme development including:

• A Life Recovery Plan
• Pornography Recovery Programme
• Exodus Recovery Skills Programme
• Supporters' Recovery Programme
• Exodus Recovery Mobile App
• Pornography Supporters' Recovery Programme

2. We collaborate through relationships with individuals, churches, organisations, governments, prisons and the homeless by providing:

• Services
• Programmes
• Groups
• Coaching

3. We empower through equipping including:

• Training
• Awareness
• Support
• Digital Media
• Conferences
• Resources

Our strategy blueprint is designed to reach the one across diverse communities through community.  The Project Exodus team is committed to making things happen and increasing the speed at which they happen to offer freedom for anyone affected by addiction. 

Impact Goals

Online Platforms

1. • Develop a web-based advisory platform to establish Project Exodus as an authority in the field of addiction recovery, provide site users with access to powerful knowledge, and direct site users to endorsed recovery services and resources.
   • Increase scalability by making Facilitator Training, ERS Oupatient Programmes, and Group Resources available through online portals.
   • Undertake enhancements to the Exodus Addiction Recovery mobile application and develop secondary mobile applications for Supporter Recovery, Pornography Recovery, and Adolescent Recovery.
2. ERS Outpatient Programmes
   • Develop ERS Outpatient Programmes for Supporter Recovery, Pornography Recovery, and Adolescent Recovery.
3. General
   • Implement effective monitoring and evaluation systems to assess and improve our impact.

Project Exodus strives to be ever advancing, original and creative in their thinking.  

Our progress is measured by impact we have made in communities and the growth of Project Exodus.  This includes:

• The establishment of 61 recovery groups in 3 years, with many more in the pipeline.
• A reach of 1048 people on a weekly basis through our Recovery Groups
• The establishment of 10 ERS Outpatient centres
• To date 50 Facilitator Training Workshops
• The social media reach and engagement

The current indicators show a phenomenal growth for a non-profit organisation in South Africa in 3 years. 

The testimonies from individuals who have walked the programme and continue to walk in a culture of recovery are inspiring and evidence that the addiction recovery strategies are indeed working.

Project Exodus specialises in the development, delivery, and replication of effective, community driven recovery strategies to meet a global need for innovative, affordable addiction solutions.  Notable growth since the organisation's inception has substantiated the feasibility, scalability, and value of the Project Exodus model.

Core technology includes:

1. Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok)
2. Project Exodus Website  https://projectexodus.net/
3. Exodus Recovery Mobile App 
   1. https://apps.apple.com/za/app/exodus-recovery/id1557634598 
   2. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.firstdigital.exodusrecovery&hl=en&gl=ZA
4. Progressive web apps
5. Data Gathering - Airtable / Azure
6. Software
   • Webflow
   • Zapier
   • Make / Integromat
   • Azure
   • Airtable
   • Glide
   • N8n
   • AWS
   • Firebase
   • Flutter Flow
   • Adobe Creative Cloud

Currently we do all our own data collection through various platforms like Airtable and Azure.

Addiction does not discriminate on age, gender, ethnicity, culture or social standing.  Project Exodus believes that recovery should not either.  The staffing and governance of Project Exodus is a reflection of this.

We believe that any person who is looking for recovery and wants to take responsibility and ownership of their life is welcome. 

To this end we request that partners, collaborators and service providers sign a Memorandum of Understanding which clearly outlines our Code of Ethics.

The Project Exodus business model lends itself to an integrated, collaborative solution that is uniquely enhanced by the variety of skills and aptitude of the team.  As the non-profit company was only registered in 2020, we have used some of the Social Business Model canvas to describe our resources, activites, impact and value.

Key Resources

The key resources that are currently used by Project Exodus are:

• People 
  • Team members
  • Partners
  • Funders
  • Investors
• Technology

Key resources that are needed by Project Exodus are:

• Finances 
  • Operational Overheads
  • Development

Key Activities

• Groups
• Outpatient Programmes
• Resources
• Education and Training
• Coaching
• Online Platforms
• Consultancy

Type of Intervention

Project Exodus uses many different avenues including:

• In person Recovery Groups
• Online Recovery Groups
• Exodus Recovery Skills Programme (run in person and online)
• Training Workshops
• Exodus Recovery Mobile App
• Project Exodus website 

Channels

Project Exodus uses the following channels to reach the communities and individuals:

• Through community by:
  • the local church
  • word of mouth
  • referrals
• Through online services:
  • Online Recovery Group meetings
  • Project Exodus website
  • Online Exodus Recovery Skills Programme
• Recovery House
  • A step down facility that provides a safe environment for individuals leaving primary care to transition into everyday life with a recovery centred support system.

Value

Project Exodus continues to impact men and women, across all demographics (ethnicity, age, gender) across various categories including:

• Individuals seeking recovery from addiction
• Individuals seeking to help a loved one with their addiction
• Individuals seeking recovery from the impact of a loved one's addiction
• Organisations seeking recovery strategies to implement in their own communities
• Organisations / Corporate Companies seeking recovery strategies to implement in the workplace
• Individuals benefitting from a better understand of addiction and recovery

Our value lies in the growth and implementation of our strategies in individuals, families, partners, organisations, churches, communities, treatment centres, workplaces and our team.

FUNDING  

Project Exodus has been privately financed since its founding, with limited additional income received from donations, ERS Outpatient Programme royalties, and Training Workshops.  Funds invested so far have established Project Exodus as a viable entity that employs a scalable model.

To sustain Project Exodus as an organisation into the future, monetisation and funding opportunities are a priority. 

Opportunities to create revenue streatms include:

• Exodus Recovery Mobile App subscription fees
  • Accountability Interface (monthly)
  • ERS Outpatient Programme Online (monthly)
• Facilitator Training Workshops (per workshop)
• Recovery Groups Portal subscription fees (monthly)
• ERS Facilitator Portal subscription fees (monthly)
• Sale of ERS Outpatient Programme Workbooks (per set)
• Sales of certified Recovery Coaching courses (per course)
• Referral arrangements with endorsed Treatment Centres

Funding to date has been received only by individual investors, partner contributions and the sale of the recovery programme material as detailed above.

To sustain Project Exodus as an organisation into the future, monetisation and funding opportunities are a priority.