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The Atebion Model is based on four interlinked components:
Recovery Advocates; EPOC Programme; Wisdom (Storytelling Initiatives and Education Wisdom); and Community Empowerment.
Recovery is a process that generally takes a long period of time and requires sustained effort. It is something done by the person, not by a practitioner, and it occurs in the person’s community. Relationships are key to recovery.
When a person leaves treatment, they often return to the same state of disconnection that contributed to the development of their addiction. Moreover, treatment rarely offers an opportunity to heal from past traumas or other adversities. The person is often not accepted by so-called ‘normal’ society, still being considered a ‘junkie’ or ‘alky’ by some people in their environment. Relapse is often a reflection of the wrong type of ‘soil’ for growth in the community to which they have returned.
Recovery requires conditions in which healing can take root and be sustained. Conditions of safety, belonging, and connection. An opportunity to be empowered and gain a sense of agency, and the hope of a better future.
Atebion’s Healing Circle recognises that disconnection is the soil in which addiction, trauma, and despair flourish. Connection is the soil in which recovery, healing, and hope grow. The Circle affirms that individuals, families, and communities possess untapped assets, strengths, and resilience that can be nurtured. Healing is not the imposition of external fixes, but something that comes from within the person and is cultivated by interactions within their social environment.
We train and support individuals who have overcome addiction and other adversities to be Atebion Recovery Advocates (or Carriers). These are generally people who make recovery infectious to those around them by their openness about their recovery experiences, their quality of life and character, and the compassion for, and service to, people still suffering adversity. The Advocates will become storytellers, educators, mentors, and change-makers within their communities and beyond. We will help them continue to transform their past Pain Into Power.
Our Eight Principles of Change programme (EPOC) is a transformative learning journey, designed to build on existing skills, talents, and assets to encourage perpetual sustainable growth. Each group session encourages a process of regulation, reflection, and an opportunity to explore potential for future development. The sessions are both educational and interactive. They help individuals develop self-awareness, authenticity, resilience, and purpose. They are empowered to thrive beyond adversity.
Stories give meaning to facts, helping people connect intellectually and emotionally while teaching empathy and offering hope.
We empower people to share their experiences through writing, film, audio, and storytelling events, inspiring understanding, belonging, and tackling stigma.
Alongside this, education programmes will show how recovery from addiction, trauma, and mental health challenges is possible, highlighting the role of connection in healing and resilience.
Together, stories and education create understanding, inspire change, and build stronger, more connected communities.
Whilst we empower individuals and families to find recovery, we believe strongly that we must also empower communities to heal. We adopt an Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach in our projects, focusing on a community’s talents, assets, and abilities. In order to tackle disconnection and create healing environments, we encourage communities in North Wales to discover, connect, and mobilise assets within their own community. We also connect to North Wales initiatives that are helping improve wellbeing.
