Family Services Helps Leaders | An Interview with Ben Erwin

Dr. Ben Erwin received his master's degree from the University of
Hawaii, and his PhD from Brigham Young University. His clinical
specialties include marriage counseling, addictions and working
with adolescents. Ben is currently the program manager for the
Addiction Recovery Program for the Church and is also adjunct
faculty for Utah Valley University's Marriage and Family Therapy
program. He has served as a member of the Utah Governor’s
Behavioral Health Workgroup and a board member of the Salt Lake
County Mayor’s Behavioral Health Advisory Council. He and his wife
Sarah are the proud parents of five children. Highlights 03:40 Ben
Erwin's background. He's a project manager for the Addiction
Recovery Program (ARP) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints. He helps oversee the worldwide Addiction Recovery Program
that the Church sponsors to help people find recovery through
Christ. He has a varied educational background. Eventually he got a
Masters degree and interned with Family Services. He has worked
with Family Services ever since. He still meets with clients. 7:40
People ask Ben if it isn't difficult to be a therapist and walk
through difficult issues with clients. He does walk through
darkness with clients, but they don't stay there. He watches them
grow and move towards the Savior. 9:30 There's not a better program
to help people find hope and healing than the Addiction Recovery
Program. 10:00 History of the ARP. Alcoholics Anonymous was founded
by two Christian men who were suffering from alcoholism. They
turned to the Bible for teachings to help themselves in their
recovery. 11:00 What are the most important doctrines and
principles to help someone recover and repent from addiction? Ben
believes it is "the twelve steps" [of the AA program or the
Church's ARP]. The twelve steps are the application of the
principles. In the 1970's and 1980's, many church members were
attending AA meetings and asked church leaders if they could have
AA meetings at the church. That is where the Addiction Recovery
Program was born. Last year, there were 400,000 "seats filled."
14:20 Ben is contacted by church leaders across the world. One of
the frequent questions they ask is "What kind of help can I get?"
Ben first refers the leader to a local Family Services counselor,
even before he suggests the Addiction Recovery Program. 15:30 A
leader can reach out to a local Family Service counselor at any
time with a question about helping a member. The counselor will,
for free, counsel with the church leader to develop a plan to help
the member. The counselor won't tell the church leader what to do.
But they will help the church leader see the issues from a
therapeutic, social, or emotional point of view. 19:00 When a
church leader is counseling with a member, the church leader may
"prescribe" Family Services. However, even before referring the
member to Family Services, the church leader can counsel with the
Family Services counselor to help the church leader in their
discussions with the member. Performing the consultation up-front
avoids the disconnect and gives the church leader more ideas of
what they can do as the spiritual minister. For example, when
bishops consult with the Family Services counselor, it can help the
bishop see the things the therapist can do that may be different
from what the bishop can do. 22:20 There can be a misconception of
what Family Services is. We frequently understand it as "the
Church's therapists." Family Services' primary mission is to assist
leaders to assist members to develop emotional self-reliance and
overcome obstacles to keeping covenants. Therapy is part of what
Family Services does, but consultation with church leaders is the
primary duty of Family Services. 25:00 Some leaders may not utilize
Family Services because there is not a location near them. That's
fine. Even if the leader doesn't use Family Services for therapy,
the leader should be aware that Family Services is a resource
ava...