Addiction, Treatment and Recovery

“Tools for the Journey” is a one-day workshop offered by Betty Ford Children’s Program for professionals interested in helping children from addicted homes.

The session provides training on how to work with children and families in achieving these goals:
1. Introduce children to healing from addiction in their family;
2. Empower adults with parenting skills; and
3. Heal the parent/child relationship.

The first half of the day is spent understanding addiction and resilience. Addiction is presented as a multigenerational disease which thrives on the “Family Laws of Addiction: Don’t Talk, Don’t Trust and Don’t Feel” (Claudia Black). Resilience is that quality which allows a person to successfully adapt despite risk. Resilience is embedded in the Betty Ford Children’s Program model of discovery/recovery: “Learning About Addiction,” “Feelings,” “Self-Care” and “Celebration” and the tools used to illustrate those concepts. By giving children age-appropriate tools that build upon already present strengths, children are able to deepen their strengths, skills and supports to overcome the adversity in their life caused by addiction.

The afternoon session of the “Tools for the Journey” workshop is spent demonstrating experiential activities with the participants. By using experiential activities, children (and adults) are able to use more than one mode of learning (visual, auditory and kinesthetic) and thereby connect to the material presented for deeper levels of insight and understanding. Activities presented include: “The Bicycle,” “Stuffed Problems, Feelings and Secrets,” “Addiction Man,” “Safe People Map,” “Alphabet Soup,” “High Risk Me,” “Jeopardy Game,” and “Self-Care Bag.” Each activity covers one or more aspects of addiction and recovery and is modifiable to meet the needs of different age ranges.

People who have attended past workshops include: social workers, teachers, school psychologists, therapists, professionals from government agencies, prevention programs and treatment programs, people who work with children at the elementary, middle and high school levels, parents, recovery community members and more. Tools for the Journey may be tailored to meet the needs of those in attendance by addressing specific questions and concerns of the participants.

The workshop provides an opportunity for participants to earn continuing education units (CEU’s). It has been offered at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage and on location in Denver, but is portable to other locations as well. For more information or to inquire about the next workshop opportunity, contact any Betty Ford Children’s Program staff.

Related posts:

1. Colorado News
2. Children’s Program News – California
3. Reactive Attachment Disorder Workshop in Texas
4. Colorado Five Star Kids News – Fall 2011
5. Texas Five Star Kids News – Summer 2011