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MAY 15, 2008
A life free of substance abuse
Catholic Charities helps people overcome addiction
The Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies reports that more than half of all adults have a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking. More than nine million children live with a parent dependent on alcohol and/or illicit drugs. Alcohol and drug abuse not only affect the abuser, but also family, relatives, friends, neighbors, employers, co-workers, classmates, teachers and health care providers. Most likely, your life has been touched by addiction at some point.
Just about every social ill — child neglect and abuse, crime, prostitution, domestic violence, homelessness and poverty — is linked to substance abuse. Its effects can destroy family relationships, undermine financial stability and result in death.
At Catholic Charities, we are well acquainted with the effects of substance abuse. Roughly 85 to 90 percent of the children cared for by our foster families are there due to the substance abuse of their parents.
In addition, we work with people whose lives have fallen apart because of substance abuse — the addicted parents whose children have been placed in foster care, the woman who is stuck in a life of prostitution, the person who is homeless because alcoholism has destroyed his or her ability to keep a job. We work with people to help them overcome the disease of substance abuse and build lives free of addiction.
Families F.I.R.S.T. (Families in Recovery Succeeding Together), one of our nationally recognized programs, is a state-funded program we provide in Yavapai and Coconino Counties. Families F.I.R.S.T. provides substance abuse treatment to parents referred by Child Protective Services so that their children can remain with them or be returned to them from foster care.
Our Families F.I.R.S.T. staff members assess each client’s substance abuse problems and then develop a treatment plan. Services can include residential treatment, substance abuse education, one-on-one counseling, recovery meetings (such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous), or relapse prevention support groups.
Providing support
One young woman, Meisha, was referred to our Families F.I.R.S.T. program when her son was born exposed to methamphetamine. She was devastated that she couldn’t bring her son home from the hospital, but was determined to turn her life around. She consented to weekly counseling for substance abuse, random drug tests, and case management. Maura Cluff, Meisha’s case manager, educated Meisha about the particular harms of meth use and prepared her for the long, hard struggle she would face overcoming her addiction. At times, Meisha felt depressed, discouraged, and trapped by her situation, but with Maura’s encouragement, she persisted. In time, Meisha was able finally to bring her son home.
Other people with substance abuse problems come to us through our homelessness outreach, transitional housing, counseling, and DIGNITY programs. In each case, we provide support through counseling, support groups, and referrals to community resources that can help.
Overcoming a substance abuse addiction is not easy, but with the right help, people can do it and begin to repair the damage to their lives. We see this happening every day and are proud to be part of the solution!
You too can be a part of the solution. If you know someone involved in an addiction treatment or recovery program, please offer all the support and help you can. It is difficult journey. And please consider supporting our programs that treat substance abuse. The demand for treatment is far greater than the available services. Arizona is among the states with the fewest drug treatment services per capita in the country. Your financial support will help us help others build lives free of substance abuse.
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