Creative Support for Children Impacted by Addiction and Mental
Health Challenges
NACoA is proud to share a meaningful new resource made possible through the generosity of the Janie Fleckenstein Art Therapy Fund—a guide designed especially for the mentors, counselors, faith leaders, and volunteers who support children affected by substance use and mental health issues in their families.
This new Healing Arts Guide offers trauma-informed, art-based activities to help children express difficult emotions, build trust, and begin the journey toward healing. Whether used in camp settings, schools, or support groups, each activity is a gentle invitation for young people to explore their inner world through creativity—using color, story, movement, and reflection.
Rooted in NACoA’s mission, the guide is a reminder that with the right tools and a caring adult, every child can begin to find strength, safety, and hope.
We hope this guide will become a trusted tool for those creating safe, joyful, and healing spaces for children—one brushstroke or kind word at a time.
NACoA Presenting Today at Greater Detroit & Tri-State Chapters
Labor Assistance Professionals 2025 Spring Conference
NACoA’s Director of Innovation Stacee Read BA, MSW, LSW presented today at this three day conference held in Lima, Ohio about how professionals can best support youth impacted by substance use disorders. Read is shown here with NACoA friend and fellow presenter Bruce Goldberg, LMSW, CAADC, President/Co-Owner of River’s Bend PC.
Celebrating Families! National Online Group Leader Training May 19th – 21st
Are you welcoming new facilitators to your Celebrating Families! program? Looking to grow your team as more families engage in your services? Or are you preparing to relaunch your program after a pause during the pandemic? This training is designed for you!
This is a unique opportunity for organizations to strengthen their teams by enrolling individual facilitators—no need to contract an entire training. Participants will join a national cohort in an engaging, online training experience.
Training Goals:
Explore the unique, evidence-based approach of Celebrating Families!
Learn how this family-centered program addresses the needs of children and caregivers impacted by substance use disorders.
Build confidence in using the Celebrating Families! curriculum. Gain hands-on experience with session materials and facilitation strategies.
Learn how to lead multi-generational educational support groups. Develop skills for engaging participants across age groups, from children to adults.
Experience key program activities from the participant perspective.
Deepen your understanding of the program’s impact through interactive exercises.
CEUs through NAADAC will be awarded upon completion.
Schedule: Monday, May 19, 2025 10:00 am – 6:00 pm ET, includes a break 1:30 – 2:30 pm ET Tuesday, May 20, 2025 10:00 am – 6:00 pm ET, includes a break 1:30 – 2:30 pm ET Wednesday, May 21, 2025 10:00 am – 2:00 pm ET
Cost per person: $875. Price does not include curriculum, which will be needed throughout the training.
These meetings are designed to educate adults about the impact of the disease of addiction on children, and how it can continue to affect them in adulthood. Through these presentations, adults can learn more about the impact, find hope that support is available, and learn how to heal from this impact and live healthier lives. Past meeting presentations are now available on NACoA’s website. This ever-expanding list of presentations include: What is an ACOA and resilience?; Being a Child, What It Feels Like and How it Impacts Us; Healing Through Parenting: For You and Your Family; and much more. These meetings are provided on the second Thursday of each month, at 6pm ET.
Upcoming Meetings
May 8, 6 pm ET Topic: The Power of a Love First Intervention Presenter: Jeff Jay, BS, CADC, CIP Addiction Interventionist & Counselor This session will discuss how to plan and carry out an effective intervention for a loved one struggling with a substance use disorder, using a Recovery Team and evidence based strategies.
Each month NACoA publishes important blogs to help educate about the impact of addiction on children, how to help kids and teens heal, and what adults can do who are still struggling with the impact. Resilience is available for children of all ages, and NACoA provides information, education, and additional resources through these informative and reflective articles.
Honoring Extraordinary COA Moms Who are Paving a Path of
Healing and Hope
This May, we take extra time to appreciate these mothers who are the REAL-LIFE ROCK STARS: they are the change-agents in their families. Their journeys are of recovery and transformation—turning pain into purpose and fears into lessons of courage and resilience. By choosing to heal, they break the recording of their stories, that plays and repeats in their mind. By rewriting them they create a new legacy of health, happiness, and emotional stability for their families. Read the blog>>
