WHAT CHILDREN NEED: Support

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WHAT CHILDREN NEEDSupport Education
Services for Children and Youth

• Minnesota Childrens Justice Initiative
• ITV Presentation 9/25 10/1, 2008
• Presented by Betty Conger LMSW CPC-R
• Henry Ford Behavioral Health
• Maplegrove Children Family Program Coordinator

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Maplegrove History of Service for Children
Families

• FREE Childrens Program established in 1990
• Adjunct to treatment community participation
• Various settings / partnerships
• Volunteer staffed
• Childrens Program Parent Component added in 1993
• Teen Component added in 2005
• Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program Family
  Education Support Program added in 2005

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Workshop Objectives

• To identify
• Rationale for intervening with families affected
  by substance abuse
• Goals of intervention
• Intervention strategies preferred strategy
• Curriculum based alternative key messages

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Experience has taught us

• Need all systems to address alcohol/drug problems
  and impact on families
• Each system contributes to solution
• Systems help and support each other

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Addiction Premise

• Although environmental and social factors will
  influence the progression and expression of the
  disease, they are not in any sense causes of
  addictive drinking.
• Alcoholism is caused by biochemical and
  neurophysiological abnormalities that are passed
  down from one generation to the next or in some
  cases acquired through heavy or prolonged drinking

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Genetic Risk

• Prevalence rate of alcoholism is 3-4 times higher
  when a first degree relative is alcoholic
• Adoption does not eliminate genetic risk
• Low level of response to alcohol may explain
  relationship between family history and alcohol
  problems
• Those who begin use at age 15 are 3 times more
  likely to develop alcohol dependence, and are
  harder to treat, than those who begin drinking at
  the age of 21.

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Environmental Impact

• Living in families with abuse or addiction
  stressful for all in family
• Unhealthy ways to communicate and cope
• Rules (dont talk, trust, feel) isolate members
• Role modeling of alcohol and drug use.
• Permissive attitudes toward alcohol and drug
  use.

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Need for Education Support Services

• Numbers are great estimated that 1/5 children
  live with one or more adults who abuse
  substances.
• Many children live with chronic stress,
  confusion, fear, emotional, physical, or sexual
  abuse.
• Family environment affects development of
  children and youth.
• COAs most likely to be tomorrows clients in
  mental health or addiction treatment, the
  juvenile justice system and out of home
  placements.

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Survival Patterns Costly to Health Well-Being

• Defenses are like ARMOR
• May become life-long coping skills
• May interfere with opportunities and healthy
  relationships
• May increase likelihood of becoming CD

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Why Prevent Intervene?

• Treatment outcomes improve
• Relapse Prevention
• To improve the health mental and physical of
  the entire family
• To break the cycle of substance abuse and
  associated stigma shame
• Family recovery is enhanced Potential impact on
  society problems

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Childrens Issues

• Worry about health of parent
• Being upset about unpredictable and
  inconsistent behavior and lack of support from
  others
• Worry about fights and arguments in family
• Being scared and upset by possibility of
  violence, inappropriate sexual and/or criminal
  behavior
• Being disappointed by broken promises and feeling
  unloved

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Common Feelings

• I feel ashamed
• I cant talk about it
• I feel different
• Its my fault
• I can fix it

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Common Feelings (Cont)

• Im okay. Really everythings fine
• Im no good or Im not good enough
• Im confused
• I miss the old family (absent parent)

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Strategies of Intervention

• Education
• Group work
• Family Education, Support
• Parent Education Skill-building
• Childrens Groups
• Individual therapy
• Family Therapy

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Group Work

• Children learn they are not alone and offers
  validation
• Group work increases the likelihood of breaking
  denial
• Group work provides safety and protection
• Children experience healthy social interactions
• Group work builds trust in social situations
• Group work allows children to try out new
  approaches to old problems.

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Educational Support Groups
PURPOSE Education about life skills and
support METHOD Curriculum-based guided
activities FOCUS Content-based LEADERS Special
ly trained group facilitators RULES Confidential
ity FOLLOW UP When problems arise, referrals
made for assessment DURATION Time-limited ENV
IRONMENT Supportive and Nurturing
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Therapy Groups
PURPOSE Resolution of personal
problems METHOD Individualized treatment
plan FOCUS Process based LEADERS Licensed
Therapist RULES Confidentiality FOLLOW
UP Ongoing assessment DURATION May be
ongoing ENVIRONMENT Supportive, Nurturing, and
Confrontive
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Shifting the Balance
RESILIENCE
Reducing the Risks
Strengthening Protective Factors
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Resiliency

• ABILITY TO BOUNCE BACK FROM ADVERSE
• CIRCUMSTANCES
• ONE WHO WORKS WELL, PLAYS WELL, LOVES
• WELL, AND EXPECTS WELL
• CHARACTERISTICS
• Social Competence
• Problem Solving Skills
• Autonomy
• Sense of purpose and future

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Individual Intervention

• What resilient adults say made a difference
• Had a special relationship with an adult who
• cared and was nurturing, often a teacher.
• Latched onto another parent figure or family.
• Had somewhere other than home they felt they
  belonged.
• Had activities that were easy to participate in
  outside the home.
• Had a sense of purpose and future.
• Ability to make decisions and communicate feelings

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SAMHSAs Childrens Program Kit

• Goals
• To assist treatment providers and community-based
  youth-serving systems to educate and support
  children affected by parental alcohol and drug
  addiction
• To prevent substance abuse and promote resilience
  in the highest risk youth population
• To bring the benefits of hope, healing, and
  recovery to children of addicted persons

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Childrens Program Kit TOPIC AREA GOALS
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GOALS
Addiction

1. Help children understand the disease of
   alcoholism and drug addiction.
2. Help children realize that addiction is not their
   fault.
3. Help children realize that they are not alone
   many young people live in families with
   addiction.
4. Help middle-school and high-school-age children
   understand that they are at increased risk for
   addiction because it tends to run in the family.

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GOALS
Feelings

1. Help children identify and express both
   comfortable and uncomfortable feelings.
2. Help children understand how feelings may affect
   them and how they can handle feelings in safe
   ways.
3. Help children understand that there are safe
   people with whom they can share feelings and get
   support.

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GOALS
Treatment Recovery

1. Help children understand that people with
   addiction need help to recover.
2. Help children realize they cant fix their
   parents problems, but can work on their own self
   care.
3. Help children realize that treatment and
   aftercare assist addicted people to get better.

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GOALS
Safe People

1. Help children understand the need for and
   importance of always staying safe.
2. Help children understand the characteristics that
   make people safe people.
3. Help children realize that its okay to ask safe
   people for help.

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Key Tool for Intervention7 Cs
I didnt CAUSE it. I cant CURE it. I cant
CONTROL it. I can take CARE of myself
by COMMUNICATING my feelings. Making healthy
CHOICES CELEBRATING ME!!!
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What Messages Do Families Need?

• Youre not alone.
• You deserve help, and there are safe people who
  can help.
• Its OK to feel your feelings.
• Treatment helps, and recovery happens.

• Its not your fault.
• Addiction is a disease.
• Its important to talk.
• You can live a good life, even if your parent
  continues to drink.

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Parents Caregivers Need

• Adult children of the addicted need support,
  education on addiction, skill building practice
• Common needs
• Setting limits and reasonable consequences
• Knowledge of what is normal development
• Encouragement to have fun with children, share
  warmth, and build positive / non-critical
  relationships

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Additional Parent / Caregiver Needs

• Validation of efforts
• Understanding of enabling vs empowering and
  impact on children (and CD)
• Effective communication techniques
• Language to talk with children

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Education Skills Supportive
EnvironmentOpportunities EmpowermentHope
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For More Information
Betty Conger Henry Ford Health System Maplegrove
Community Education Childrens Program
248.661.6170 Bconger1_at_hfhs.org National
Association for Children of Alcoholics 1-888-554-2
627 www.nacoa.org
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Training Regarding Using Childrens Program Kit

• December 10 11, 2008 (900 a.m. to 500 p.m.)
• Crown Plaza, Brooklyn Center
• Registration fees, materials, breakfast and lunch
  will be paid by CJI attendees must pay for
  lodging
• Registration forms will be emailed in mid-October
• To receive a registration form, send an email
  with your name, title, agency name, phone number,
  and email address to shannon.campbell_at_courts.state
  .mn.us
• Space for only 50 participants to be chosen based
  on application criteria