RESOURCES
If you or a loved one are experiencing a life-threatening emergency
Call 911 or go to your nearest hospital
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If you or a loved one are experiencing suicidal thoughts
Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
PARENT/CAREGIVER EDUCATION & SUPPORT
Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation (HBFF) – Virtual Family Program (VFP)
This free full-day program is live and interactive education and support via WebEx designed for parents and family members. The program features clinical family specialists from HBFF and is available in English and Spanish. The program addresses practical information, tools and resources that will help families begin the addiction recovery process for their loved one. Sessions are offered during the week. HBFF also offers a separate version of the VFP training for parents/guardians and siblings of adolescents (12-23 years old). For any questions call: 1-877-429-5093 or email virtualfamily@hazeldenbettyford.org.
The Partnership to End Addiction – Specialist Support and Parent Coaching
This free service is a great way to get started with initial direction from a trained addiction specialist on appropriate next steps for dealing with your child’s situation. Recommendations can cover a wide range of appropriate actions and can include getting coaching from Parent Peers with lived experience and training in evidenced-based CRAFT principles (Story 10). Texting (the preferred method) or emailing is the quickest way to connect into this service. A call can typically be scheduled inside of two weeks. Support is available in English and Spanish. To connect to this service: Text: “CONNECT” to 55753
Caron Treatment Center - My Child & Addiction” Podcast Series
A free and easy way to get started in the process. These gritty and authentic podcasts of live parent support group meetings offer great insights and information from experienced and affected parents. Each podcast also features a top clinician from nationally recognized Caron Treatment Center. To get started, pick one of the 40+ available podcasts on a topic that resonates with you.
The Partnership to End Addiction – Live Virtual Parent Support Groups
These free parent support group meetings are run by trained Parent Peer Coaches and supported by trained addiction specialists. The meetings provide support and use evidence-based CRAFT principles to educate family members about addiction and improve communication with your addicted loved one (see Story 10). Meetings are offered Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 8pm EST and Saturday at 11am EST.
SMART Recovery – Family and Friends Education and Support Meetings
These free meetings provide support and use evidence-based CRAFT principles (See Story 10) to educate “family and friends” about addiction and improving communication with your addicted loved one. The moderators of the meetings are trained and can be either addiction professionals or lay people. The meetings are offered in two ways: small local in-person or zoom meetings (170 meetings per week) and large online gatherings (8 meetings per week). Please note that the website and sign-up process can be somewhat difficult to navigate.
FINDING TREATMENT & GETTING HELP
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. Use their free treatment locator to find a comprehensive list of substance abuse treatment providers in your area.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a fellowship of people who come together to solve their drinking problem. It doesn’t cost anything to attend AA meetings. There are no age or education requirements to participate. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about their drinking problem. AA's primary purpose is to help alcoholics to achieve sobriety.
Narcotics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is a nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. NA uses a 12-step model developed for people with varied substance use disorders. They have no initiation fees or dues, no pledges to sign, no promises to make to anyone. They are not connected with any political, religious, or law enforcement groups, and are under no surveillance at any time.
REENTRY AFTER INCARCERATION
After Incarceration: A Guide to Helping Women Reenter the Community
SAMHSA has created a wonderful guide that provides an overview of topics and resources for serving women who are reentering the community after a period of incarceration. It is intended to increase knowledge of specific issues that women often face during reentry and to provide relevant resources to providers who can help them succeed. The guide is presented in a “checklist” format to provide a brief overview of considerations necessary when working with women who are justice involved.
Who’s helping the 1.9 million women released from prisons and jails each year?
This blog article from the Prison Policy Initiative provides some interesting statistics about women & incarceration, and it goes into some great detail about some of the resources and programs available for women re-entering after incarceration.
