By: Pietro Lombardo, Chapter 51 Project Coordinator

Substance use proves to be a very subjective occurrence for everyone. No two individuals who use substances are alike. A family member of a substance user may find this fact daunting. However, there are support options available for family whether your loved one chaotically uses, is in treatment, or is even in recovery. Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) is a support network specifically tailored to families. CRAFT’s primary focus is to support a family member’s well-being and self-care. Our CRAFT-trained peers want to remind family of their own worth first and foremost. Once we realize how to maintain our own happiness, we can then facilitate compassion-based approaches to better communicate with our substance using loved ones.

The CRAFT program is broken into two programs. The first is the weekly group meeting where families gather to discuss their loved ones. This meeting allows for healthy venting and for advice to be given from likeminded individuals. Our group meetings are every Thursday 6-7pm via Zoom (Meeting ID: 419-714-303) and in person at the CARES recovery center (25 W. Main Street, Rockaway). The second program is the 12-week one-on-one session. These sessions see a family member paired with a CRAFT-trained peer to review the CRAFT curriculum. Over the course of these 12 sessions family members will review a personal happiness scale, a functional analysis of their loved one, positive communication skills, as well as much more. These programs work together to better understand our loved ones and provide integral support to a community that is too often overlooked.

Additionally, you can put your loved one in contact with a CARES certified peer recovery specialist (CPRS). These are individuals who have lived experience with substance use. For more information on CRAFT or our CPRS program, please call CARES at 973-625-1143.