Core Curriculum

Celebrating Families! is a successful, evidence-based 16 week curriculum that addresses the needs of children and parents in families that have serious problems with alcohol and other drugs. The curriculum engages every member of the family, ages three through adult, to foster the development of healthy and addiction-free individuals.

A typical cycle was designed to serve 6 to 15 families depending on the site’s physical facilities, referral process and intake of eligible families.

Each session begins with a family meal. Afterwards family members break into age groups for developmentally appropriate activities led by the group facilitators. At the end of each session, all family members re-connect in activities to learn how to apply these new skills and interact in healthy ways.

The model is developed for children of alcoholics/addicts COAs and their parents, many of whom have learning differences or cognitive deficits. Celebrating Families! is based on recent research about brain chemistry, including skills, education, risk and resiliency factors, and asset development. Emphasis is also placed on the importance of community service and individual spirituality. Celebrating Families!.

• • • Explores the four aspects of healthy living: physical, psychological social, and spiritual.
    • Incorporates healthy family living skills.
    • Integrates parenting skills with strategies to break the cycle of addiction.
    • Utilizes materials developed for COAs with the teaching and reinforcing of life skills.
    • Uses interactive teaching methodologies recommended by research on how the brain learns, especially brains impacted in utero by alcohol and other drug use.