St. Christopher’s is committed to closely working with family members throughout the course of treatment in all levels of care. Chemical Dependency is a family illness, not in the sense that the family caused the addiction or that they can control it and “make” the person get sober, but in the reality that loving a chemically dependent person is a painful experience for anyone. The effect that chemical dependency can have on families is extensive and often devastating. Furthermore, family members are often times forced into unhealthy roles of enabling – families enable their loved one because they care – unfortunately enabling seldom helps the person get better. Treatment is an opportunity for the family to learn different ways to support the person in treatment and in their recovery. It is also about the family learning to take care of themselves. There is one simple fact when it comes to working with families in addiction treatment – family participation increases the persons chance of getting better.

Goals of The Family Program

1. Provide factual information on addiction and families.
2. Decrease the family’s response to the chemical dependency.
3. Encourage family members to gain their own sources of support.
4. Assist families in learning healthy ways to support their loved one’s recovery.

If it’s an individual disease, why work with the family?
(Edwards, J., 2000, Working with Families: Guidelines and Techniques.)

1. Because it’s also a family issue: everyone is affected and is forced into an unhealthy role.
2. Involving the family motivates the chemically dependent member to recover.
3. By the time a family reaches the treatment stage, all members have been emotionally damaged by the ordeal.   They need support to begin to recover.
4. The family’s reaction to the chemical dependency could be helping maintain it (enabling).
5. Treating the family could prevent problems in its children, especially younger ones.
6. All members need education about the disease, which could help the family view, and react to, the chemical dependency in a different way.
7.  When sobriety begins, the family needs help in learning to readjust its patterns of interacting. Ironically, the family needs to learn how to live without a problem.

Residential and Outpatient Family Programming:

Orientation

New participants in the family program are required to attend one family orientation session prior to participation in Family Programming. The orientation is designed to help you further understand what you can expect from the treatment. Orientation time is scheduled with the client’s primary counselor. Please contact the primary counselor before bringing children under 9 years old.

Family Group

Group therapy for family members takes place on a weekly basis for both programs. Group times are scheduled with the client’s primary counselor. Please contact the primary counselor before bringing children under 9 years old.

Education

There are weekly education groups that are held prior to the family group each week.  These sessions will be in the form of lecture or videos on topics related to addiction. Some topics are: The Disease Process of Addiction, Addictive Thinking and Personality, Family Roles in Recovery and the importance of attending AA and Al-ANON meetings. Please contact the primary counselor before bringing children under 9 years old.

Phone Updates

The family can expect regular phone updates with the client’s primary counselor (provided that the client signs a release form due to confidentiality laws) to talk about treatment progress, ongoing care plans, and to receive support in the family’s own recovery process. Frequency of phone updates is a minimum of one to two times weekly but is based on the client’s and family’s needs. Our staff is happy to provide employers, the legal system, and other concerned parties with phone and/or written updates provided there is a signed release from the client.

Family Week

St. Christopher’s provides a 3-day intensive family program (typically during the third week of treatment) that has been an integral part of the success many of our clients and families have had. The program includes education, discussion, group therapy, conjoint therapy (with the client), relapse prevention, and planning continuing care. It is an experience that immediate family members and spouses/significant others should not miss. We have seen many clients turn a huge corner in their acceptance of a need for help during this program.

Out of Town Families

Families residing in other states will obviously miss the weekly therapy and education groups. Our staff can arrange these services in the family’s local area with other providers. All families are strongly encouraged to attend the family week.

Al-Anon Attendance

Al-Anon is a support group for family members of chemically dependent persons. Our program requires that each family member attend a minimum of two meeting prior to the Family Week. Meeting locations in your local area can be found at http://www.al-anonfamilygroups.org/meetings/meeting.html 

Extended Care Family Programming

Families of clients in the Extended Care Residential and Halfway House programs will have private conjoint family sessions with the client’s primary therapist. These are typically scheduled one time per month. Topics typically include expectations of the relationship, setting appropriate limits and boundaries, clinical areas of concern, resolving family issues identified during previous family work, helping each client and family member focus on their own recovery, and plans for aftercare following treatment completion.

Readings

Here is a list of suggested readings that may provide information and support for the family:

Codependent No More	Melody Beattie
The Language of Letting Go	Melody Beattie
Another Chance	Sharon Wegscheider Cruse
Adult Children of Alcoholics	Janet Geringer Woititz, Ed.D
Drinking: A Love Story	Caroline Knapp
Boundaries	Anne Katherine, MA
Addictive Personalities	Craig Nakken
Addictive Thinking	Abraham Twerski, MD
The Lost Years	Kristina Wandzilack

Confidentiality Statement - As per Federal Confidentiality Regulations: all records, information and communications shall remain strictly confidential, except under the following circumstances: 1.) To authorized medical personnel, if a medical emergency exists, 2.) If the individual is a danger to themselves or others, 3.) Suspected instances of child abuse or neglect may exists, 4.) The individual or responsible party signs a release of information. Any violation of Federal Confidentiality Law and Regulations may be reported to the United States Attorney for the Judicial District in which the violation occurs.