STAR Approval
By seeking to achieve STAR Approval, you will be taking a significant step towards our collaborative journey of hope, healing, and active recovery.
Becoming a STAR-approved church, organisation or community will facilitate you to invest in volunteers, see them flourish, and see the benefits from the community working together.
Accessing STAR
There are many benefits to joining us as a STAR-approved community. These include:
- Enjoy support from other leaders.
- Gain confidence in supporting those in recovery.
- Say goodbye to the pressure of running a ministry alone.
- Experience increased collaboration with others.
Play Learn from experts.
STAR Levels
There are four levels available:
Level
Discovery
Level
STAR Approval
Level
STAR Membership
Level
STAR Excellence Options
Level 1: Discovery
We know that churches have lots going on, so we have made it easy for those interested in exploring STAR to discover what it’s all about. You can:
- Attend a free discovery session to find out more about becoming STAR approved.
- Attend a free ‘breaking fear and stigma’ session to hear from an expert and be with others that are in the process of STAR approval or are members.
- Attend one of the free, twice-yearly, online STAR Life Courses as an observer, to see the course in action.
If you like what you see, we’ll arrange a follow-up meeting to discuss if you want to proceed with STAR.
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Level 2: STAR Approval
We want to see churches equipped and growing in confidence, knowledge and collaboration. The
STAR model has been expertly designed to support, train, apply and reflect working together to build
recovery-supportive communities.
This is about you as a whole congregation or community, not just running activities but
always being there for those whom God brings to your door. Your team will become skilled
at welcoming people, in crisis or in recovery, into your activities and venues. We will journey
with you to complete the core STAR Approval steps.
Here’s what we’ll work on together:
- STAR welcome (Values of STAR, First impressions (welcome team training), Healthy conversations).
- Addiction awareness (understanding the basics and best practice).
- Facilitator’s training resources.
- Invitation to 2 x STAR Connection events each year.
- Personalised consultation with a STAR representative throughout.
- Mental health awareness webinar.
- Breaking fear and stigma sessions.
- Policy templates (if required).
Level 3: STAR Membership
Once you become STAR approved we want you to stay approved and we commit to continuing to give you ongoing support as a STAR church or community. STAR approval is awarded on an annual basis with plenty of benefits offered to the STAR church or community.
Here’s what we’ll work on together:
- Access to STAR Academy
(online training, learning and reources). - Workshop to develop what’s next, to include
creating a local crisis support signposting list. - Training to deliver the STAR Life Course, plus
digital package of course materials
(access to all training, videos, leader and guest guides templates). - STAR Life Course package of resources
(Leader’s Guide, Facilitator Postcards, Mind Body Spirit videos, Testimony videos, Attendee worksheets, PDFs / Journal, Training for small group facilitators). - Testimony bank access.
- Equipment box
(lanyards, roll-up banner design template, leaflet templates, pens, t-shirt). - STAR welcome training for new core team.
- Mental health awareness for new volunteers.
- Facilitator’s training for new volunteers.
- STAR Life Support Programme
(resources to run the programme to support people affected by addiction, e.g. families, friends, etc.). - ‘Breaking fear and stigma’ sessions.
- Archive access to previous sessions, etc.
- Access to the freephone STAR Helpline.
- Invitation to 2 x STAR Connection events
each year. - Exclusive access to True Freedom taster
seminars.
Level 4: STAR Excellence Options
The STAR Excellence options are additional, exclusive and discounted packages provided by partner organisations, bringing you additional services that add to your membership.
We collaborate with reputable organisations that align with the ethos and vision of STAR, enabling a STAR member church or organisation to draw on high quality, additional and complementary resources to enhance the ongoing work that is being achieved.
The various options available can enhance your team’s offer with a range of benefits, including access to:
- True Freedom programme with an exclusive 15% discount for STAR Members.
- Health & Fitness consultancy.
- Recovery retreats.
- Advanced mental health.
- Advanced addiction awareness.
- STAR Prison Programme.
- STAR Youth Programme.
We are committed to growing the offering of STAR each year and more additional options will be available to members in the future, expanding the overall benefits of being a STAR member.