Prevention for Children of Addicted Parents

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Prevention for Children of Addicted Parents Sis
Wenger President/CEO - NACoA GRAA National
Technical Assistance Meeting February 22, 2006 La
Jolla, CA
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Addiction in the FamilyAffects Everyone Family
members develop unhealthy ways of communicating
with each other and coping with
addiction. Rules in Addicted FamiliesDont
TalkDont TrustDont Feel
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Children of Addicted Parents

• Why Special Emphasis?
• Numbers One in four children is affected by
  alcohol abuse or alcoholism in the family many
  are also hurt by parental drug use.
• Developmental impact is both social and
  emotional.
• Early Intervention
• Prevention of Mental Health Problems COAs are at
  increased risk for depression and anxiety
  disorders.
• Prevention of Substance Abuse Problems COAs have
  increased environmental and genetic risks.
• Relapse Prevention Reduction of stress in the
  family

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People Outside the FamilyCan Make a
Difference When schools provide basic
understanding of the nature and educational
support groups for school age children
Students stress is reduced Their sense of
stigma and shame is reduced Resilience is
possible Behavioral and educational outcomes
improve
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Critical Information for Children of Addicted
Parents Childrens educational support
programs provide education about addiction to
give children a framework for what they are
experiencing the need 1. Information about
addiction as a family disease2. Information on
community-based support, such as Alateen and
school- based student assistance
programs (SAPs) 3. Clarification about and
validation of their experiences4. Resources for
them to learn, talk and play, and get their
questions answered 5. Information to learn
that recovery is a process6. Information on the
resilience they have developed as a result of
their experiences 7. Reassurance
that the child needs and deserves support and help
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• Messages That Group Offers for Children
  Youre not alone there are lots of kids living
  in families like yours.
• Its not your fault.
• You deserve help, and there is help for
  you.
• Addiction is a disease.
• Its okay to share your feelings with
  safe people.
• Classroom programs can help, too
• The affected student
• Fellow students

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• Group Work is the Preferred Strategy
• Groups
• Validate perceptions and interpretations
• Absolve children of blame and help them gain
  perspective
• Help separate parent from behavior
• Increase likelihood of breaking denial
• Provide safety and protection
• Build trust in social situations
• Provide opportunities for group validation
• Allow kids to try out new approaches to old
  problems
• Teach them skills for self-care
• Offer children and help to cope
• Children learn they are not alone and experience
  healthy
• social interactions.

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Differences Between Educational Support and
Therapy Groups
Educational Support Groups Focus on life/coping
skills Education Support/safety net Educational
goals and objectives are achieved through
curriculum based content and activities Building
protective factors Conducted by trained
facilitators who are caring knowledgeable about
childdevelopment and specific issues have
health to give LOVEE driven Listen,
ObserveValidate, Educate, EmpowerTime Limited
6-12 Weeks
Therapy Groups Solve a personal
problem Resolution May be supportive but also
contain confrontation and probing Individualized
treatment plans, use of therapeutic activities
however, process is always more important than
content Probing, addressing impact of risk
factors may focus later on protective
factors Conducted by trained therapists Driven
by psychological theory and diagnosis Length of
treatment determined by process and patients
progress or insurance coverage
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Student Assistance Program (SAP)
What it is A school-system-wide program that
offers appropriate education and intervention at
every level of the system for alcohol/drug-related
problems that impede the educational goals of
the schools. Full program includes educational
support groups for students K-12. What it does
Focuses on educational concerns, with emphasis
on those student problems that interfere with
educational goals. Provides help to all students
K-12 who troubled by emotional, family, physical,
sexual, social or substance use problems.
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Components of a Comprehensive School-Based
Prevention Program

• 1. Training for teachers, administrators, other
  professional staff and parents on
• Substance abuse and addiction
• Their effects on family
• 2. How to intervene with school-age children
• 3. School policies on substance use and abuse
  that are consistent, clear, and fair, including
  alternatives to suspension for infractions of
  school rules
• 4. K-12 health curriculum, which includes
  age-appropriate and significant substance abuse,
  addiction, and family impact information at every
  grade level
• 5. K-12 life skills development training and
  educational support
• groups for early ID, intervention and
  prevention of problems
• 6. Parenting education

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SAP Components from National Student Assistance
Association School-Board Approved Policy To
clarify the schools role in addressing the
relationship between student academic achievement
and alcohol, drugs, violence, and high risk
behaviors Staff Development To provide for all
school employees the necessary foundation of
attitudes and skills in order to ensure an
effective student assistance program
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SAP Components (continued) Internal
Referral Process To identify and refer students
with academic or social problems to a problem
solving and case management team Problem
Solving Team and Case ManagementTo evaluate how
the school can best serve students with academic
or social problems Program
AwarenessTo educate the faculty, students,
parents and agencies and the community about the
student assistance program Student Support
GroupsTo provide information and support to
students experiencing academic or social problems
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SAP Components (continued) Cooperation and
Referral With Community AgenciesTo build bridges
between schools and agencies through referral and
joint case management Student Assistance
Program EvaluationTo ensure continuous quality
improvement of SAP services and outcomes
Integration with Additional Program
ComponentsTo increase resilience, improve
academic performance, and reduce student risk for
alcohol and drug abuse violence
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• Using
• SAMHSAs Childrens Program Kit

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Background and Goals

• Launched June, 2003
• Goals
• To prevent addiction and mental health problems
  in the highest risk population youth living in
  families with addiction
• To lessen the confusion and provide support for
  children of persons suffering from addiction or
  in treatment for addiction
• To enhance the recovery outcomes of parents in
  treatment and to improve educational outcomes

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Components of the Childrens Program Kit

• Materials for staff in-service programs
• Full curriculum of educational activities
• Announcement posters
• Four videos/DVDs
• Program manual

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Structure of the Kits Curriculum Activities

• Six topic areas
• Addiction
• Feelings
• Problem solving
• Treatment and
• recovery
• Safe people
• Coping

• Three levels
• Grades 1-5, 6-8, 9-12
• Five activity options in each topic area
• 47 separate program activities

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Pepper

• For young children, this video introduces
  alcoholism from the viewpoint of a puppy whose
  master sinks into alcoholism and then finds
  recovery through AA.
• Pepper, the puppy, learns the
• Seven Cs concepts.

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Michaels Journey

• Two high school age COAs, face multiple choices
  about the direction of their lives and offer
  young people options for their own lives while
  they learn about alcoholism and the struggle to
  live with an afflicted parent.

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• End Broke Promises, Mend Broken Hearts
  Video
• This video provides
• A rationale for addressing the needs of children
  with addicted parents as well as information
  about educational support groups and appropriate
  and effective settings for them
• Messages from children and parents who have
  benefited from support groups
• Messages from prevention, treatment, and school
  professionals who have provided educational
  support groups for children of parents in
  treatment

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Resource for Materials National Clearinghouse for
Alcohol and Drug Information 1-800-729-6686 www.nc
adi.samhsa.gov CPKIT Posters Pamphlets DVDs SAP
Manual (in development)
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Other Resources

• NACoA
• (National Association for Children of Alcoholics)
• 11426 Rockville Pike, Suite 100
• Rockville, MD 20852
• 301/468-0985 or 888/55-4COAS (2627)
• www.nacoa.org
• NSAA (National Student Assistance
  Association)4200 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite
  106-118Washington, DC 20016800/257-6310
  (phone)215/257-6997 (fax)www.nsaa.us