Overview

Partnering With Families Affected by Concurrent Disorders - Facilitators' Guide

In the Overview:

• Overview introduction
• An education and support program
• Language

Language

We have deliberately attempted to give a human—and hopefully humane—tone to the way we talk about substance use problems, mental health problems and concurrent disorders. For example, we use the terms substance use and substance use problems, mental health and mental health problems, and co-occurring mental health and addiction problems (concurrent disorders). We acknowledge that in many cases families need to understand diagnosis-based terminology (e.g., substance use disorder, mood disorder) that is used in some sectors of the substance use and mental health treatment systems. But we have found that, when working at the family level and the consumer level, being open to a language that refers to and comes from their experience helps make the empathetic, humane connection that is so important in this work. This is not meant to suggest patronizing either family members or consumers, but to recognize the deeply human elements that are involved not just when these problems occur but when people mobilize their considerable strengths and resources to work on solutions.

Defining “family”

By family, we mean anyone who supports and is concerned about someone who is struggling with concurrent substance use and mental health problems. We do not require that it be proven or formally established that the family member they're concerned about has concurrent disorders. We do not require that the family member they're concerned about be a client of our services or of any others. Instead, we work to validate and respect the concerns of the family members who want to participate in this process, and to create a welcoming environment. This includes being open to the ways family members experience the problems and challenges of living with someone struggling with substance use and mental health problems, of paying attention to the language they use, and to speaking about concurrent disorders in ways that show that we see these as human problems that deserve respect, concern and support.

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Partnering With Families Affected by Concurrent Disorders - Facilitators' Guide

• Overview
• Working with families
• Preparation
• Implementation
• Evaluation
• Session Outlines
  • Session 1: Introduction
  • Session 2: Substance use problems
  • Session 3: Mental health problems
  • Session 4: How concurrent disorders affect family life
  • Session 5: Self-care
  • Session 6: Stigma
  • Session 7: Navigating the treatment system
  • Session 8: Medication
  • Session 9: Relapse prevention
  • Session 10: Crisis and emergency
  • Session 11: Recovery
  • Session 12: Saying goodbye
• References
• Resources
• Appendix 1: An Overview of the Research
• Appendix 2: The Partnering With Families Affected by Concurrent Disorders Project

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