CFC #12020
Venmo @NacoaVoice4Children
CFC #12020
Venmo @NacoaVoice4Children
When faith leaders are equipped, communities change.
When communities change, families heal.
And when families heal—
children no longer have to suffer in silence.
The Faith Leaders Institute on Substance Use in Families (FLI) supports faith leaders, faith communities, and faith-based organizations responding to substance use within families with clarity, compassion, and skill. The FLI is the central structure for NACoA’s faith-based training, technical assistance, learning, and resource development devoted to substance use disorders (SUD) and co-occurring mental health conditions.
The initial version of this curriculum, Spiritual Caregiving to Help Addicted Persons and Families, was created with SAMHSA in the early 2000s.
Faith communities are often the first place families turn—
and too often, the place where silent suffering is not fully seen.
Grounded in decades of national leadership - and developed from SAMHSA-supported clergy competencies – the FLI empowers faith communities to become:
• Places of healing and recovery
• Welcoming safe spaces for children and families
• Leaders in prevention and early intervention
• Partners in addressing one of the most urgent public health crises of our time
FLI is not a single training. It is an ongoing institute that organizes in-person and virtual learning, technical assistance, implementation support, and access to NACoA’s learning management system and resources.
This work sits at a critical intersection—where awareness becomes responsibility, and responsibility becomes informed action that can change the trajectory for children and families.
Why This Matters
• 1 in 4 children in the U.S. lives in a home impacted by substance use disorder
• Faith leaders are often the first and most trusted point of contact
• Many communities lack access to trained, compassionate responders
Substance use within a family system extends beyond the individual. Children experience its emotional, relational, and developmental impact in ways that are often unseen and unspoken.
Faith communities hold a unique position in this work. They are often the first place families turn, and too often, the place where silent suffering is not fully seen. FLI exists to ensure that recognition does not depend on proximity to crisis, but on the readiness of faith leaders, faith communities, and faith-based organizations to see, understand, and respond.
The FLI equips faith leaders to:
• Recognize and respond to SUD and mental health challenges
• Reduce stigma and increase help-seeking
• Support whole-family healing
• Build recovery-supportive communities
FLI strengthens the ability to meet families in need with readiness, skill, and sustained support.
What FLI Includes
This platform equips faith leaders to:
• Understand that substance use is a family system issue and its ongoing impact on children
• Recognize and respond to SUD and mental health challenges
• Reduce stigma and increase help-seeking
• Support whole-family healing and connect families to appropriate support
Faith leaders guide response. Faith communities provide support. Faith-based organizations help sustain care.
Prevention and early engagement are essential.
Learn More / Partner With Us for Your Faith Community
FLI is more than just training - it is an implementation process. It supports faith leaders, faith communities, and faith-based organizations in moving from understanding to integration — embedding knowledge into practice and ongoing response.
Participants receive practical tools and access to NACoA resources, including essential curricula: Children’s Program Kit and Celebrating Families!
Contact NACoA today to set up a meeting and explore partnerships, training opportunities, and/or community implementation.
