Professionals
Professionals
While NACoA provides increasing amounts of information to help children and families, especially with the broad reach of internet communications, it is not feasible to provide needed direct services to children and families across the country and around the world. Therefore, NACoA’s approach to addressing family alcohol or other drug addiction as effectively as possible is to work with a network of relationships with professional groups who serve kids on the front lines.
Primary Care Providers
Primary Care Physicians see children suffering from the physical and emotional results of addiction in the family.
Read More See ResourcesJustice System Personnel
The Court System sees the ravages of parental addiction to alcohol and other drugs in their courtroom every day.
Read More See ResourcesSocial Workers
Social workers touch every system that seeks to help children cope with a variety of family problems, many of which are rooted in parental addiction for many generations.
Read More See ResourcesEducators and Student Assistance
Educators may notice that a child is withdrawn or unable to do school work because of the chaos at home caused by alcoholism/addiction.
Read More See ResourcesEarly Childhood Professionals
Early childhood Professionals see children from birth through age three, the youngest and most vulnerable population to be affected by parental addiction.
Read More See ResourcesFaith Community
Faith leaders are often the first to be contacted by a spouse who needs help for themselves and their children.
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NACoA relationships begin with leaders in targeted professional groups and proceed to a partnership that assists each group in determining what education and what tools are needed to adjust the group’s everyday actions so that children’s needs may be identified and addressed. Staff members, teachers, caseworkers, pastoral counselors and physicians are then educated about the needs and trained to make a difference in the lives of the children in their care on a daily basis.
Working in compassionate professions that touch the lives of traumatized children and teenagers regularly can emotionally exhaust and at times physically impact the best of professionals. Depending upon the level of daily involvement, these responsibilities have the capacity to even elicit PTSD-like symptoms, especially if you grew up in a family that struggled with substance disorders that created trauma in your earlier life. It is important for anyone working in these professions to exercise appropriate self-care, and if necessary consider attending Al-Anon or Nar-Anon meetings.
NACoA provides a wealth of information for those professionals who see children every day: profession-specific research, kits, books, online educational opportunities, trainings and videos to educate and support those who are in the best position to identify and assist children who live with alcohol or other addictions in the family.
Training & Programs
Our training and program resources equip professionals and individuals with tools and knowledge to help provide support to children and families impacted by a loved one’s alcohol or drug addiction.
Webinars
The library of webinars provides an archive of critical topics on addiction, its impact on the family, children and the community. The speakers are all well-known and knowledgeable subject-matter authorities, providing key insights and information for the listener. The webinars range from 1 ½ to 2 hours in length.
Courses
NACoA’s online learning opportunities are designed to enhance the skills and knowledge of faith leaders, behavioral health professionals and any person interested in helping children, families and communities impacted by parental alcohol and drug addiction. Each course provides strategies, tools and resources that can be utilized in working with children and families.
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Children’s Kit
This NACoA developed kit provides all the tools needed to implement educational support groups for children of clients in treatment for addiction, for educational support groups and other educational prevention activities in schools, and for support groups and educational programs in youth-serving community based and faith-based organizations. For information about the Kits, contact us at nacoa@nacoa.org
Celebrating Families! ™
The Celebrating Families! ™ curriculum is an evidence based cognitive behavioral, support group model written for families in which one or both parents have a serious problem with alcohol or other drugs and in which there is a high risk for domestic violence, child abuse, or neglect.
Testimonials
Educational Support Matters
This is a Real Problem
Parent’s Abuse can be Devastating
Resources
The NACoA resource page brings our library of support tools, articles, and educational and supplemental materials together in one convenient place. It has something for everyone, serving professionals, parents, concerned family and friends, kids, and teens. Click the button below to search and filter all content to easily find just what you're looking for, or browse the carousel below for our most commonly accessed resources.
webinar
Family Recovery: Our Families, Our Stories, Our Recovery
The importance of recovery for impacted family members, and programs...
webinar
Facing the National Opioid Crisis Together
Reaching in to prepare, reaching out with strong hope with Rev....
webinar
Addiction and the Faith Community
Faith community response and children of the opioid epidemic...
webinar
Creating Caring Communities
How faith-based communities can engage individuals and families...
webinar
Screening, Intervening and Referring for Alcohol Problems: Strategies for Faith Communities
First in a 4 part series "Understanding Addiction and Supporting...
webinar
Trauma Informed Schools
By Maureen Wong, PhD - How trauma informed schools can help children's...
webinar
Youth Opioid Epidemic
By Kimberly Jeffries Leonard, PhD - Congregations and community-centric...
webinar
The Pain Antidote
By Mel Pohl, MD, FASAM - The pain antidote is not opioids, looking...
webinar
Sensitizing the Congregation
By Fred Smoot - Understanding misuse/addiction and its impact...
webinar
Faith Community Engagement
By Ivette Torres - Engaging the faith community in national recovery...
Infographic
Parental Substance Use Disorder Hurts 1 in 4 Children Infographic
Special infographic illustrating the impact of alcoholism on...
