By Matters India Reporter
Mangaluru, March 10, 2023: An institute that trains addiction professionals globally has honored two of its alumna who have excelled in prevention and management of substance use disorder in Africa and India.
Ecolink Training Institute, which has trained more than 300 addiction professionals from 20 countries in the past three years, awarded Odireleng Kasale, a recovery professional from Botswana, and Devika Rani, prevention expert from India’s Hyderabad, in a virtual meeting held on March 9.
Kasale, a recovering person herself who was trained in the Ecolink Institute in the Universal Treatment Curriculum on Substance Use Disorder in 2020, said she could carry out a successful recovery program in her country by networking with several young men and women who was struggling with drugs.
Also, a consultative committee member of World Health Organization and a trainer in Recovery Coaching in her country, Kasale has contributed to the policy formation and professionalizing the addiction management in her country.
Kasale and Devika were awarded with a citation and certificate, besides a one-year free package on advanced training in various curricula related to addiction management from Ecolink Institute.
Devika Rani had carried out hundreds of awareness programs for youth groups in schools and universities on drug prevention in collaboration with the Narcotic Control Bureau, Police Department and the Excise in Hyderabad.
The two were selected for the award by the members of the Ecolink alumni Association through a secret balloting held in connection with the International Women’s Day.
Thirumagal V, the training consultant to Ecolink and a global trainer, said the two awardees have excelled in their field and their achievements also boost Ecolink.
Ecolink Institute, recognized last year by the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP), introduced on the occasion a special curriculum on managing substance abuse among women.
Aditi Ghanekar, a global trainer and faculty of the institute, introduced the new curriculum developed by the Colombo plan for training women professionals to manage women addiction.
“Women have very limited facilities for addiction treatment in India or other countries, whereas they require a women-alone treatment center for better outcome,” said Ghanekar insisting that most women in addiction also has trauma related issues and special needs which should be addressed separately.
“Women’s Intervention for Substance Exposure” (WISE) is the new curriculum developed and piloted by the Colombo Plan, which will be eventually available in Ecolink training packages.
Father Georgish Britto of Jaipur diocese in Rajasthan, who studies with Ecolink Institute and runs a treatment center, said he receives several enquiries on women’s treatment. “But we are helpless as we cannot admit them with the male patients,” he said, adding they require separate facilities managed by the women therapists.
Thomas Scaria, the director of the Institute, said his main aim is to train addiction professionals with knowledge and skills, so that the already suffering addicted population will receive professional and evidence based care.
He said the Institute plans to start a new batch on Universal treatment Curriculum from March 27, where several Catholic priests also have registered. The admission is still open and those interested can still register at www.ecolinkinstitute.com/utc-9 , he added.