The families’ role in recovery
Vivienne Evans
Scale
• Approximately 7 million people are affected by someone else’s substance misuse
Scale
• There are 250,000 children of problematic drug users…
• …and 1 million children affected by parental alcohol misuse
Scale
• 150,000 people are affected by drug use in prison
Policy context: everyone’s business
• Models of Care 2006 • Drugs Strategy 2008• Carers Strategy 2008• NICE guidance 2007• Hidden Harm 2003• Social Exclusion Task Force: Think Family 2007• Aiming High for Every Child: HM Treasury 2007• Children’s Plan: DCSF 2007
Impact
• Social • Financial• Physical• Psychological• Criminality• Stigma• Personal and societal
Why support families?
• They provide practical, emotional and financial support to the substance user, improving the likelihood of successful treatment and retention in treatment
• Health and welfare of family members is improved if they are given support
• Engaging families in a prison setting can reduce drug supply and re-offending
• Isolation and stigma increases stress and its related problems, placing added strain on statutory services
• Economic advantages
Recovery
• Unrealistic goals• Equated with abstinence• Health• Job• Home• Family supportRecovering from a drug or alcohol problem is more
complex than not having a substance in your system any more
Emerging dilemmas
• Interventions• Involvement and support • Insecure contracts • Parents and children/prevention and
resilience
Key messages • Families are relied upon to provide support without being
adequately supported themselves• Families subsidise treatment provision • The welfare system penalises families • Families do not get support when they want to disengage
with the drug user• Families need to recover too• The role of the family needs to be recognised at grassroots
level, not just with policy circles• Families want more information• There is a great deal we do not know about the family's role
Key issues
• Rebuilding family relationships is a key constituent of recovery
• Families provide vital recovery capital• Families are well placed to help map
individualised routes away from drug dependency
• Families need to recover too
• www.adfam.org.uk