Michael is the original developer of two award-winning web sites:
He also created and moderated the AGRM's
first e-mail discussion
lists:
Michael is a founding board member of Christians
in Recovery, an online community for believers in recovery from addictions and other
life problems. He was also involved with a number of other
development projects for web sites and Internet strategies for several
different nonprofit organizations.
Michael served on the original online education committee of
ACCESS and
designed the Rescue
College course, "Introduction to
College Study on the Internet" which won of the 1998 ACCESS/Christianity
Today Online Course of the Year Award.
Michael Liimatta's Professional Background
During his seminary years in Minneapolis, Michael worked with Midwest Challenge as a
counselor in their addiction rehabilitation program and helped to develop their prison and jail
outreach.
In 1979, he founded New Creation Ministries in Hancock, Michigan. During his tenure as
Executive Director of New Creation, its programs included an outreach to correctional
institutions, a professionally staffed outpatient counseling program, and a licensed
Christ-centered residential drug and alcohol treatment center that served primarily
indigent men.
In his early years as Director of Education for the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions, Michael has spent much time helping rescue missions to develop more effective
recovery programs for addicts and their families.
His major responsibility for the last ten years with the association
was the development of Rescue College. The program began as a
cooperative degree program with Grace University in Omaha, NE.
Michael was responsible for overseeing the development of the curriculum
and building a faculty of urban ministry professionals with a heart to
mentor future leaders. He developed a course management system for
the delivery of the courses via the Internet. And, Michael led the
process of process of obtaining accreditation with the
Distance Education and Training Council.
He will continue many of these tasks as director of
TechMission's
City Vision College.
Published
Works
Because he has struggled with addiction
himself and grew up in a dysfunctional alcoholic family, he brings a unique perspective to
the field of rescue mission counseling. Along with his theological training, Michael has
many hours of training in the principles of substance abuse treatment. He has spent
hundreds of hours in counseling with chemically dependent individuals and their family
members.
In 1993, AGRM has published a resource entitled A Guide to
Effective Rescue Mission Recovery Programs which consists of 12 cassette tapes
from his seminars for chaplains, counselors, and program directors and a 250 page manual.
While aimed at rescue missions, this resource offers many helpful resources and useful
principles that can be used to develop and enhance residential recovery programs in any
setting.
A follow up to this resource entitled,
First Things First,
was published in 2000.
Portions of both publications are available online, including the
recorded lectures.
