Family Focused Treatment
Overview
Substance abuse/addiction affects more than just the abuser; it affects everyone around that person and every aspect of their lives. Ways to minimize the damage done will be discussed. It is often the case that clients were raised in homes in which substance abuse was present. The impact of their childhood on their current life will be explored, especially in relation to their ability to parent effectively. The process of recovery also impacts family functioning and creates new issues to be addressed. Family focused treatment is an opportunity to address issues that will impact the identified client’s ability to recover, may decrease the intergenerational impact of substance abuse and keeps the focus on the fact that no one in a system affected by substance abuse escapes unharmed.
People seeking services present with varied backgrounds and from multiple referral sources with a variety of reasons for seeking treatment. Central to all reasons is that there use of substances has created serious enough problems that either they or someone else think treatment is necessary. More and more clients present with problems related to the abuse and neglect of their children; referrals to Social Services with substance abuse involvement has skyrocketed over the past few years.
