Peniel Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center, located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is an intensive, inpatient rehabilitation program that works to effectively treat men and women eighteen years of age or older who suffer from chronic substance abuse.

Peniel has found that addiction does not discriminate among race, background, social status or religious affiliation; therefore, the men and women who enter treatment come from all lifestyles, all facets of society, and all corners of the globe. In fact, statistics confirm that nearly every household has experienced the devastation of having someone they know or someone in the family clenched by the stronghold of addiction.

Peniel believes that there is hope! The Peniel Biblically-based treatment model is effective by serving a dual purpose. The first is to facilitate an environment in which clients can grow spiritually and learn Biblical principles that they can apply to their daily lives. The second purpose is to teach clients practical methods that support their sobriety and encourage healthy alternatives that are contrary to old habits and behaviors.

The goal of Peniel is to see men and women’s broken lives restored and true change take place. We aim to send clients back into their communities prepared to live sober lives of integrity and purpose with the expectation of leading others in a positive direction.

In 1971, Marion Spellman developed a vision for a program designed to help the hurting people of society. Her concern grew as she witnessed an increase in broken homes, community deterioration, crime and incarceration. She observed that the bulk of these problems were drug and alcohol related. Growing up she witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of substance abuse from her own brother, and the pain it caused her mother and herself. Dr. Spellman vowed to start a program with the desire to prevent other families from enduring the same pain that her family had.

Dr. Spellman began her ministry working with incarcerated ladies in the Allegheny County Jail located in West Central Pennsylvania during the early 1970’s. She had a desire to see many of these women not only free from confinement, but also free from their binding addictions. There she began ministering to individuals and witnessed firsthand the healing and delivering power of God. Her first experience in the field of drug and alcohol treatment was in the late 1970’s at a Teen Challenge facility in Western Pennsylvania. There she directed the female component of the program and specialized in personal care and spiritual growth. At Teen Challenge, Dr. Spellman was able to see how a structured program could be effective in the treatment of substance abusers. Following her tenure there, she was employed at the Bureau of Correction in the Commissioner’s Office. However, her promotion to this position did not erase the desire in her heart to see lives changed and in 1980, she founded Peniel.

Peniel was established without the benefit of starting capital. Rather, it was birthed with a deep desire to provide effective professional rehabilitation for men and women who require long-term inpatient treatment for chronic drug and/ or alcohol addiction or mild emotional problems. The program has served literally thousands of men and women from all over the country during its existence.

From its humble beginnings in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania to now, Peniel has grown tremendously and recently has expanded its center in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. These brand new additions include two expanded dormitories, a gymnasium, a sanctuary, increased office space, and more. As Peniel looks to cross the threshold of 45 successful years of effective Christian treatment, we are very excited and enthusiastic about what the future holds. Men and women continue to seek help for their life-dominating addictions, and God continues to bless Peniel with the capability to serve them.

The major goal of Peniel’s approach is to enable the client to develop an awareness of who he is through an understanding of who God is. Through Biblical concepts, an individual can understand his purpose for living.

Another major goal is to motivate the client to review his past in order to identify his mistakes and see himself from an objective point of view. Learning from the retrospective view is encouraged rather than dwelling on past failure. The client is encouraged to accept responsibility for his present situation; getting a proper perspective on both the past and present helps to set more appropriate and realistic goals for the future.

The role of the counselor is to act as the facilitator. The counselor works with the client, sometimes as a passive listener and sometimes as an active participant. However, the relationship is always moving towards motivating the client to think for himself utilizing Biblical principles.

The aim is that upon completion of the program, the client will have gained confidence in his decision-making abilities. Thus the client will have been taught how to go out and develop resources for himself.

Once a client enters treatment, his goals become a primary concern and he learns to express what he would like to accomplish during the treatment process. Client input is very important in goal setting. The establishment and prioritizing of goals is a joint effort between the counselor and the counselee. The counselor’s primary responsibility is to teach (through instruction and modeling) the client how to successfully integrate Biblical principles into his lifestyle. These principles will help him to be an effective, productive and contributing member of society.

This approach, implemented in individual and group counseling, has been used effectively to teach individuals how to live at peace with themselves and others.