FOUNDERS: Dr. Darv and Carol Smith from Boulder, Colorado, USA in September 1989
HISTORY OF THE ABC SCHOOLS :
The Addictive Behavior Counseling School was pioneered at the request of Dr. Bruce Thompson, then Dean of the College of Counseling and Health Care. We realize now that this school was born out of the heart of God longing to reach out to people largely rejected by society and even the church. Among these people addicted to alcohol and other drugs, sex addicts, prostitutes, adults and children living on the street, and HIV / AIDS people. Many of these people are poorly cared for by society and often not welcomed in the church. Jesus, if He were here in the flesh would likely be right among them 2000. So we believe this school is relevant to the needs and cries of of people on the fringe of society, too. They also have cries of emptiness, loneliness, isolation too! God has a heart for ALL who are hurting.
The first Addictive Behavior Counseling School (ABCS) began on the University of the Nations campus in Kona, Hawaii in September, 1989 under the leadership of Darv and Carol Smith and Miriam Young.There were twelve students from five different countries. This school had two different outreaches: the first to India, Singapore and Malaysia and the Second to the Micronesian islands of Guam, Yap, and Palau. Dr. Mel Hanna and Darv led the 1990 Kona school with outreaches to Hong Kong and Micronesia. As a result of an ABCS project researched by students Barbara Kosko-Holm and Pat Michels, a rehab program called "Omult" was established in Palua with the help of Linda Subris. This was a prototype for cooperation between existing rehab programs and ABCS bringing new methods and new teachings.
During the decade of the 1990's schools were held in Amsterdam in 1993,1994 and 1996. Outreaches went to Budapest, Hungary; Krasnodar and Barnaul Russia; Latvia working with rehab centers, churches and prisons and Ukraine working with ministry to churches in Kiev and helping some recovering drug addicts start a rehab center in Sevastopal. Dr. Bruce Thompson invited us to be based in Chatel Switzerland in 1998. Bruce was co-leader and student for the ABCS at Chantel in 1998. The outreach went to Mongolia to help train government narcologists with a more effective Minnesota Model program using Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The trained doctors then started many rehab programs in Mongolia and AA continued to multiply there. Darv had already been involved in Alcohol Abuse Reduction Project. The Outreach also went to Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia. A new ABCS was pioneered in Kiev, Ukraine with the help of Natasha Shure in 1998. Some students did their outreaches in California at Santa Barbara Rescue Mission or the New Life Center in Santa Cruz, Ca. under the guidance of Yoko Saito, a former ABCS student. In 1997 Kona, HI. became a regular site for the ABCS.
In Kona, HI. in 1999 there was a shift to expand ABCS leadership. Ten former ABCS students were prepared to lead future ABCS's From this time leadership was released to younger leaders. Darv and Carol continue to mentor these new gifted leaders.
Since 2000 ABC schools have continued every spring quarter in Kona, HI.under Linda Subris' leadership and mentorship. Robert Pallath pioneered the first ABCS in Lonavala, India with the help of Ashang Kasar in 2006. Robert continues to coordinate Leadership of ABCS's in India every two years. Jungwoo Cheon helped to pioneer the first ABCS in Korea in 2002 as a bilingual school. The ABCS have continued in Jeje, Korea every other year but now only in Korean. These schools have found more addiction professionals from Korea to teach in these schools. Further schools were in Amsterdam, NL in 2001 and 2004. Sylvie Bolay pioneered schools in Switzerland in 2006 and 2008. Emmanuel Muchanga from Kenya, pioneered the first ABCS school in Uganda, Africa in 2008. Debra and Jeremaia Nakora pioneered an ABCS school in Fiji in 2009. Jonathan Mumbai from Zambia, led the second ABC school in Africa in Worcester South Africa in September 2009 with outreaches is in South Africa and Mozambique.
We have had 27 ABC schools in nine different countries with students from over fifty countries and outreaches in many other countries.
Yearly schools are planned in Kona, Hawaii while other schools are planned in India, Brazil, Australia and Fiji. (see list of future schools on the this website and the contact people)
We thank God for His encouragement over the years with supportive staff who also have the ABC vision in their hearts and the faithful guest teachers who have taught and openly shared their lives in our schools. We have been richly blessed by our precious model of Jesus Christ who went to the cross to bring healing for all people and all nations.
The Addictive Behavior Counseling School was pioneered at the request of Dr. Bruce Thompson, then Dean of the College of Counseling and Health Care. We realize now that this school was born out of the heart of God longing to reach out to people largely rejected by society and even the church. Among these people addicted to alcohol and other drugs, sex addicts, prostitutes, adults and children living on the street, and HIV / AIDS people. Many of these people are poorly cared for by society and often not welcomed in the church. Jesus, if He were here in the flesh would likely be right among them 2000. So we believe this school is relevant to the needs and cries of of people on the fringe of society, too. They also have cries of emptiness, loneliness, isolation too! God has a heart for ALL who are hurting.
The first Addictive Behavior Counseling School (ABCS) began on the University of the Nations campus in Kona, Hawaii in September, 1989 under the leadership of Darv and Carol Smith and Miriam Young.There were twelve students from five different countries. This school had two different outreaches: the first to India, Singapore and Malaysia and the Second to the Micronesian islands of Guam, Yap, and Palau. Dr. Mel Hanna and Darv led the 1990 Kona school with outreaches to Hong Kong and Micronesia. As a result of an ABCS project researched by students Barbara Kosko-Holm and Pat Michels, a rehab program called "Omult" was established in Palua with the help of Linda Subris. This was a prototype for cooperation between existing rehab programs and ABCS bringing new methods and new teachings.
During the decade of the 1990's schools were held in Amsterdam in 1993,1994 and 1996. Outreaches went to Budapest, Hungary; Krasnodar and Barnaul Russia; Latvia working with rehab centers, churches and prisons and Ukraine working with ministry to churches in Kiev and helping some recovering drug addicts start a rehab center in Sevastopal. Dr. Bruce Thompson invited us to be based in Chatel Switzerland in 1998. Bruce was co-leader and student for the ABCS at Chantel in 1998. The outreach went to Mongolia to help train government narcologists with a more effective Minnesota Model program using Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The trained doctors then started many rehab programs in Mongolia and AA continued to multiply there. Darv had already been involved in Alcohol Abuse Reduction Project. The Outreach also went to Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia. A new ABCS was pioneered in Kiev, Ukraine with the help of Natasha Shure in 1998. Some students did their outreaches in California at Santa Barbara Rescue Mission or the New Life Center in Santa Cruz, Ca. under the guidance of Yoko Saito, a former ABCS student. In 1997 Kona, HI. became a regular site for the ABCS.
In Kona, HI. in 1999 there was a shift to expand ABCS leadership. Ten former ABCS students were prepared to lead future ABCS's From this time leadership was released to younger leaders. Darv and Carol continue to mentor these new gifted leaders.
Since 2000 ABC schools have continued every spring quarter in Kona, HI.under Linda Subris' leadership and mentorship. Robert Pallath pioneered the first ABCS in Lonavala, India with the help of Ashang Kasar in 2006. Robert continues to coordinate Leadership of ABCS's in India every two years. Jungwoo Cheon helped to pioneer the first ABCS in Korea in 2002 as a bilingual school. The ABCS have continued in Jeje, Korea every other year but now only in Korean. These schools have found more addiction professionals from Korea to teach in these schools. Further schools were in Amsterdam, NL in 2001 and 2004. Sylvie Bolay pioneered schools in Switzerland in 2006 and 2008. Emmanuel Muchanga from Kenya, pioneered the first ABCS school in Uganda, Africa in 2008. Debra and Jeremaia Nakora pioneered an ABCS school in Fiji in 2009. Jonathan Mumbai from Zambia, led the second ABC school in Africa in Worcester South Africa in September 2009 with outreaches is in South Africa and Mozambique.
We have had 27 ABC schools in nine different countries with students from over fifty countries and outreaches in many other countries.
Yearly schools are planned in Kona, Hawaii while other schools are planned in India, Brazil, Australia and Fiji. (see list of future schools on the this website and the contact people)
We thank God for His encouragement over the years with supportive staff who also have the ABC vision in their hearts and the faithful guest teachers who have taught and openly shared their lives in our schools. We have been richly blessed by our precious model of Jesus Christ who went to the cross to bring healing for all people and all nations.