Parental Substance Abuse : Support Programs for Parents

by Child Welfare Information Gateway

(Page 9 of 10)

Twelve-Step Programs

I can live my life only one day at a time....

All 12-step programs are based on the principles and traditions of the original 12-step program created by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). AA is, to use the program's own language, "a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism." AA is a peer support program with a strong spiritual foundation. It uses the strength of the group and the wisdom of the 12 steps to encourage the kinds of behavioral and cognitive changes that can support the acquisition and maintenance of a sober lifestyle for both fathers and mothers.

The original 12-step programs for alcoholics have been adopted and adapted to the purposes of various other populations grappling with addictions, both their own and those of loved ones. Other 12-step programs include:

Narcotics Anonymous (NA)-not to be confused with NarcAnon, which is a separate program affiliated with the Church of Scientology-is a 12-step program that was founded in the 1950's by and for people addicted to drugs other than alcohol.

AlAnon and Families Anonymous were developed to help family members cope with the addictions of parents, partners, children, and other loved ones and family members.

AlAteen, Children of Alcoholics (COA), and AlAtot are programs for teenagers, school-aged children, and younger children whose parents are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol.

Marijuana Anonymous was developed for people whose marijuana use has caused them to lose control of their lives.

Cocaine Anonymous (CA) is a support program for cocaine abusers.

Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA or ACOA) is a 12-step program for adult children of alcoholics.

Survivors of Incest Anonymous is an international 12-step program for adult survivors of incest.

Each of these programs is autonomous, but all share the same 12 steps and traditions, and all rely on the fellowship of the group and a commitment to anonymity as fundamental to recovery. For parents who are not comfortable with the spiritual aspects of the 12-step philosophy, a number of alternative self-help support groups, such as Rational Recovery (RR), Secular Organization for Sobriety (SOS), and Women for Sobriety (WFS) provide peer support without a spiritual emphasis.

There are 12-step programs in almost every community, and no membership dues or charges are associated with attending meetings. Because the social characteristics of individual groups vary, professionals are encouraged to attend open meetings to become familiar with the membership of the various 12-step groups within their local areas.

Programs for Adolescents

Programs for adolescents generally involve the public school system or school staff. These programs may provide support groups for adolescents who come from substance-abusing families or who use alcohol and/or other drugs themselves.

Another model is Project PALS (Positive Adolescent Life Skills), a research demonstration program at the University of California, San Diego, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This after-school project serves pregnant adolescents who are using drugs or who are at risk for using drugs and nonpregnant adolescents who are either using drugs or at risk for using drugs and who are at risk for pregnancy. At-risk status is determined if an adolescent has problems in any two of the following areas: peer relations, family relations, mental health, or aggressive behavior/delinquency.

In addition to standard medical care, enrolled teens participate weekly in a 16-week educational program addressing the consequences of alcohol and other drug use, child and adolescent development, and sexual responsibility. Followup support groups are conducted at 3 and 12 months following program completion.

Programs for Incarcerated Women

Are we going to send women back out who haven't yet recovered from their addiction?

Most correctional facilities lack the technology and trained personnel needed to appropriately manage high-risk pregnancies, and substance abuse treatment is rarely provided within correctional institutions. Thus, in order to improve outcomes for incarcerated substance-abusing pregnant women and substance-abusing women with children, the criminal justice system has developed a number of innovative programs to assist mothers in their recovery from alcohol and other drug abuse and promote the birth of healthier infants.

Model programs developed within institutions provide expanded health care as well as educational and social services for women. Typically, programs offer comprehensive prenatal care either on-site or through collaborative arrangements with local medical centers; substance abuse treatment (including supervised detoxification, counseling, and 12-step peer support); health education related to pregnancy, nutrition, sexually transmitted diseases (including AIDS), and birth control; and parent education. To better ensure appropriate linkages with community services upon the mothers' release, some programs also assign pregnant women to specially trained probation and parole officers. These officers are knowledgeable regarding community resources and can help women make needed connections with essential medical and social service programs.

Another approach to dealing with the growing population of incarcerated pregnant and parenting substance-abusing women has been the development of innovative residential programs. Such programs allow incarcerated women to live with their children in a residential setting while serving the remainder of their sentences. In general, these programs are limited to women who have been convicted of nonviolent crimes, women whose sentences are short-term, and women whose children are preschoolers or younger.

Typically, residential programs are highly structured and are specifically designed to address the issues of substance abuse, domestic violence, and lack of employment that often contribute to a woman's incarceration. Such programs commonly are staffed by specially trained correctional personnel and are located in or near a community where the mother will reside upon completing her sentence. The services offered by model residential programs generally include comprehensive medical care, substance abuse treatment, and mental health and family counseling. Programs generally require mothers to participate in educational or vocational training, and a strong emphasis is placed on developing skills needed for the family's subsequent community reintegration and independent living.

Day Treatment Programs for Pregnant Women and Their Husbands/Partners

As more programs have been developed to serve substance-abusing mothers and their children, fathers have become involved in these programs through home- and center-based components. For example, the FOCUS Project at UCLA, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, enrolls pregnant substance abusers and provides comprehensive services for women and children for a period of 2 years. Although they are referred to other community agencies for substance abuse treatment if needed, husbands and significant others are involved during home visits with FOCUS staff and are also invited to attend center-based parent education sessions. The entire family benefits when both caregivers work together in learning effective parenting practices, and when both receive coordinated supportive services.

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