Addiction impacts the whole family. The role of the family in the course of a loved one’s substance use disorder is frequently overlooked and misunderstood. Family members experience isolation, stigma and shame; our current treatment system frequently fails to engage families to improve their own health and the health of their loved one with a substance use disorder. This training seeks to explore and clarify the impact of addiction on the family unit and family members and loved ones as power catalysts for change. Topic areas to be addressed include:

•  Importance of engaging family members and loved ones in prevention and treatment of substance use disorder
• Stress, the stages of change, and SUD-impacted family systems
• Reciprocal relationship between family and individual health
• Health risks of family members living with a loved one’s SUD – chronic health and psychiatric conditions
• Strategies for engaging and supporting family members of persons living with SUD
• Resiliency of families and families as motivators for change