After Care uses family strengths for recovery
After Care interventions can have better outcomes if the Recovering Drug Dependents (RDDs) family or close associates are also involved in the process.
Parents who are too burdened with the RDDs new addiction on alcohol, smoking and Mobile Legends…a chaotic family struggling to deal with the RDDs attitude are some of the major complaints that family members bring to workers during After Care Family Counseling.
Allen’s dysfunctional family makes his recovery difficult. Following their parents’ separation and sibling rivalry, the After Care team noticed early signs of relapse. He would go home heavily intoxicated to escape his situation. Allen expects the support of his family, when he cannot get it, he will go with his friends and spend time drinking and gambling. When confronted by workers, he expressed remorse and regret. Allen’s family will undergo a series of counseling.
From January 15-February 19, 26 families were invited at Whips, Rizal Park to help them understand the dynamics of recovery and the changes it brings.
Through a combination of psychoeducation and spiritual counseling approaches,
the session provided an opportunity for family members to talk about their concerns, which is critical to helping them support the RDDs who are in treatment and can alleviate anxiety and other negative feelings they may have.
Through education, the After Care workers hope to help families change some behaviors that are common to families coping with RDDs. The goal is to help family members adjust to changes in recovery by providing some ideas about what to expect as loved ones progress through their recovery.
In the said session, the worker is given the opportunity to facilitate the involvement of (significant?) others in the client’s recovery process. By listening carefully and patiently, the workers can begin to understand the difficulties from a RDD and family perspective to help evaluate RDD progress and what interventions are needed in the recovery process.
Topics covered during the face-to-face session include: Repairing Relationship, Importance of Family in Recovery, Responsible Parenthood, Family Spiritual Growth and one-on-one session for RDDs using MIOP as one of the approaches. After the session, each RDD undergoes a surprise drug test.
For RDDs who are parent, they are given parenting topics to prepare them for their role by teaching them the values of responsible parenting.
Also, a 24/7 hotlines were given to the families of the RDDs to report cases of violence and early signs of relapse for early interventions.
After the series of Family Counseling sessions, starting February 24, the After Care Team will start its first out of the six (6) sessions of Conqueror’s Camp. With focus on “deep-wound healing” and “setting free”, the activity will help the RDDs reconnect with his creator in order to overcome all forms of addiction or relapse. These allow RDD’s religious beliefs to continue to grow during the 18-month program.
The LGU’s After Care Team under the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) aims to help families understand what they can do to play an active and positive role in their family member’s recovery.
Family roles in substance abuse can be one of the most powerful supports for recovery when actions and interactions are healthy and positive. The general goal of CADAC-After Care is to find ways to help the overall improvement of RDDs by using family power and resources – helping families understand the complex path of recovery and supporting them for the difficult journey ahead.