Alcohol and Drug
Dependence and Its Impact
on Family and Community:
Seizing the Opportunity
Supporting Families and Promoting
Recovery
Steve Hornberger and Doug Ronsheim
Bloomfield, CT
June 2, 2010
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Supporting Families and
Promoting Recovery
Why in the Faith
Community?
2
So Help Me God:
Substance Abuse, Religion and Spirituality
CASA’s Surveys of Clergy and Schools of
Theology
 Presidents of 230 multi-denominational Christian
seminaries and 6 Rabbinical Schools
 Sample of 1,200 clergy from New York, Florida,
Iowa, Washington
 Denomination groups: Catholic, Protestant,
Jewish, Christian, Orthodox, other (independent
and non-denominational)
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So Help Me God:
Substance Abuse, Religion and Spirituality
The Great Disconnects
- Clergy’s recognition of problem of substance
abuse in their congregations vs. lack of training on
how to deal with it
- Importance of spirituality and religion to
substance abuse prevention and treatment vs.
failure of healthcare providers to take advantage
of this
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So Help Me God:
Substance Abuse, Religion and Spirituality
The Clergy Disconnect
- 94.4 percent of clergy and 97.6 percent of
theology school presidents consider substance
abuse an important problem in congregations
- Only 12.5 percent of clergy get any substance
abuse training
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So Help Me God:
Substance Abuse, Religion and Spirituality
Engage the Clergy
Schools of Theology should:
ä
Train clergy to recognize substance abuse and know
how to respond
Clergy should:
ä
Address substance abuse in their ministries
ä
Develop relationships with treatment professionals
ä
Connect members of congregations to treatment
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The Clergy Education and
Training Project
®
 Phase I – Seminary Training Expert Panel
November, 2001
 Phase II – Development of Core Competencies
February, 2003
 Phase III – Dissemination
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Step One: Release at CADCA, January 2004
Step Two: Publication of articles in journals
Step Three: Incorporate into AAPC and ACPE credentials,
standards, and training
Step Four: Engaging the Faith Communities to help
Step Five: Developing Seminary Curricula Modules
 Phase IV – Implementation of Clergy and Pastoral
Minister Training – Pre- and Post- Ordination
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Core Competencies for Clergy
Guide to the core knowledge, attitudes, and skills
essential to the ability of clergy and pastoral ministers to
meet the needs of persons with alcohol or drug
dependence
and their family members
Focus on:
Addicted person
Family system
Affected children
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Clergy Core Competencies
1. Be aware of the:
– Generally accepted definition of alcohol and other
drug dependence
– Societal stigma attached to alcohol and other drug
dependence
2. Be knowledgeable about the:
– Signs of alcohol and drug dependence
– Characteristics of withdrawal
– Effects on the individual and the family
– Characteristics of the stages of recovery
3. Be aware that possible indicator of the disease my
include, among others:
marital conflict, suicide, family violence (physical,
emotional, and verbal), hospitalization , or encounters
with criminal justice system.
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Clergy Core Competencies
4. Understand that addiction erodes and blocks religious and
spiritual development; and be able to effectively
communicate the importance of spirituality and the practice of
religion in recovery, using scripture, traditions, and rituals of
the faith community.
5. Be aware of the potential benefits of early intervention to the:
Addicted person
Family system
Affected children
6. Be aware of appropriate interactions with the:
Addicted person
Family system
Affected children
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Clergy Core Competencies
7. Be able to communicate and sustain:
An appropriate level of concern
Messages of hope and caring
8. Be familiar with and utilize available community resources
to ensure continuum of care for the:
Addicted person
Family system
Affected children
9. Have a general knowledge of and, where possible,
exposure to:
12 Step Programs: AA, NA, Al-Anon, Nar-Anon,
Alateen, ACOA, etc.
Other groups
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Clergy Core Competencies
10. Be able to acknowledge and address values, issues,
and attitudes regarding alcohol and other drug use and
dependence in:
Oneself
One’s Own Family
11. Be able to shape, form, and educate a caring
congregation that welcomes and supports persons and
families affected by alcohol and drug dependence.
12. Be aware of how prevention strategies can benefit the
larger community.
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AOD 101 – Basic Information
To understand how to help congregants
affected by alcohol and drug problems
requires that we must understand the
disease and its impact on family members.
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Terminology Can Provide Hope or
Deepen Misunderstanding and Shame
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Alcoholism
Addiction
Chemical Dependency
Brain-Based Illness
Substance Use Disorder
“Substance Abuse”
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Learning about addiction includes
learning about its children
 1 in 4 children under the age of 18 has a family
member who abuses alcohol or has alcoholism.
Countless others live with parental drug use.
 Addiction is a treatable disease, not a moral
weakness, and living with it is emotionally and
developmentally harmful to children.
 Clergy and other pastoral ministers can offer
hope and help to addicted individuals and
affected children and spouses in their
congregations.
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Why Include an Emphasis on the
Children?
 Numbers are so great
 Chronic confusion, fear, stress, emotional
and - sometimes - physical abuse
 Developmental and emotional impact
from the toxic family environment
 Greater risk for neglect, for mental health
problems, for addiction and for entering
the juvenile justice system
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Family interaction is defined by
alcoholism or addiction.
Problems clergy see that are frequently associated with
addiction in the family:
Increased…
Family conflict
Emotional or physical violence
Family isolation
Family stress, e.g.: work problems,
illness, marital strain, finances,
and frequent relocations
Decreased…
Family cohesion
Family organization
What Makes the Family Toxic?
Don’t talk
 Don’t feel
 Don’t trust

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Addicted Family Defense
Mechanisms
Delusion
 Denial
 Minimizing
 Projection
 Rationalization

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A Parent who is abusing alcohol
or other drugs
 May be less attentive to the child while
drunk or high
 May be unable to fulfill their role as a parent,
including providing medical treatment
 Is more likely to be diagnosed with a comorbid psychological problem
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A Parent who is abusing alcohol
or other drugs
 May be chronically physically ill from using
drugs or alcohol
 Spends times procuring, using, and
recovering from the alcohol or drug use
instead of parenting
 May be engaged in illegal activities
 Places financial stress on the family system
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Consequences for Children of
Addicted Parents
• More absenteeism from school, less help with homework
• Daughters more likely to connect to/marry addicted men
• More depression and suicide in adolescents
• More illness, injuries, poisonings, substance abuse,
hospitalizations
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Children of Addicted Parents
 Often lack consistency, stability, and
needed emotional support due to the
chaotic family environment
 May be physically and emotionally
traumatized by accidental injury or verbal,
physical or sexual abuse due to parental
drinking/drug use
 May encounter permissiveness, neglect,
violence, poor communication, undersocialization
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Adverse Child Experiences Study
Death
Early
Death
Disease, Disability
and Social Problems
Adoption of
Health-risk Behaviors
Scientific
gaps
Social, Emotional, &
Cognitive Impairment
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Conception
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Addressing Family Addiction
 Interventions need to be comprehensive
and continual – and include ageappropriate child services.
 Children benefit from educational support
programs, including Alateen, whether they
live in birth home or in foster care, and
whether or not their parents get well.
 Spouses benefit from Al-Anon
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Recovery Does Happen
 Intervention and treatment work
 Families heal
 Spiritual health is possible again
 Money is saved
 Life gets better
 People in recovery give back
 Everyone wins!
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Emerging Recovery Trends
 Recovery from alcohol and drug problems is a
process of change through which an individual
achieves abstinence and improved health,
wellness, and quality of life.
 Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care shift the
question from “How do we get the client into
treatment?” to “How do we support the process of
recovery within the person’s environment?”
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Definition of Addiction in
Relationship to God
Addiction is a systemic de-construction
that estranges, alienates and sedates
the self-in-relation toward the Ultimate
with outcomes of disenchantment and
loss of meaning for life-experiences.
Paraphrased from James E. Royce, S..J., Ph.D.
The Effects of Alcoholism and Recovery, 1995
from Spirituality and Chemical Dependency
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Long term effects within family system:
applications to spiritual development.
(McIvyn C. Raider, Ph.D. –1992,
Assessing the role of religion in Family Functioning)
 Tangled relationships
– “God” as the image of mom or dad
– Co-dependent behaviors
– Poor self-image
 Instability of religious commitment
– Underdeveloped intrinsic values
– Overcompensated with rigid behaviors or beliefs
– Under-utilization of religious formation and support
systems
– Inconsistent modeling and mentoring for children
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COAs Need Spiritual Help
“I don’t know if I can ever forgive him …”
 COAs must learn to walk the path of progress, not
perfection.
– Support by clergy and faith–community for family
therapy or individual counseling
– Spiritual direction and mentoring
 The journey of forgiveness is not made in one’s feelings but in
one’s surrender to faith.
 One day at a time …
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COAs Need Spiritual Help (cont.)
 COAs need to appreciate their goodness and
individual gifts.
“We cannot forget but we can know where we
want to be and always seek out new, fresh, holy
ground as a restless pilgrim. We may not want to
go home – but we can build a new house and
make it our home.”
Spiritual maxim (Ronald Rolheiser 2001: Against an Infinite
Horizon)
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Small Efforts Can Help
 Deliver the messages that break the silence
– In sermons
– In “Did You Know” Factoids
– In casual conversations
– In your congregational education programs
– In your youth programs
– In your pamphlet racks and with posters
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Affected Spouses and Children Need a
Framework for What They are Experiencing
- Information about addiction as a family disease
- Information about the hope of treatment and the process of
recovery
- Information on community-based supports such as Al-Anon
and Alateen
- Validation of their experiences
- Reassurance that affected children and spouses need and
deserve support and help…whether or not the addicted
family member recovers
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Addicted Families Need Clergy
 To Break the Family “no talk” rule:
– Use “teachable moments” in sermons to inform about
the disease and invite hurting congregants to healing.
– Include addiction and family impact information in your
educational programs.
– Leave 12-Step literature in your materials racks
– Leave this project’s free pamphlets in your counseling
offices and youth centers for children and teens; hang
project poster.
– Remember: doing nothing and saying nothing is not
neutral.
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Talking Helps to Break the Silence
Talk TO the children of alcoholics and drug addicts and
talk ABOUT them; explain the disease and 7 Cs
I didn’t Cause it
I can’t Cure it
I can’t Control it
I can take better Care of myself:
by Communicating my feelings
making healthy Choices
by Celebrating myself.
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Other Messages Children Need
 You’re Not Alone.
 It’s Not Your Fault.
 You deserve help, and there are safe
people who can help you.
 Addiction is a health problem.
 It’s OK to feel our feelings.
 It’s important to talk.
 Treatment helps, and recovery happens.
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There are Many Message Delivery
Systems
 Health Care Systems
 Treatment Systems
 FAITH COMMUNITIES
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Courts
Community Coalitions
Schools
Workplace Programs
Knowledgeable and caring family members
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Help for the Children
There is great value in educational support
group activities –
– Provide beneficial education for all children and
youth
– Especially helpful for children living with
alcoholism or drug dependence in the family
A tool to help:
SAMHSA’s Children’s Program Kit
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Group Work is the Preferred
Strategy Because:
 Kids learn they are not alone.
 Group work increases the likelihood of breaking denial.
 Group work provides safety and protection.
 Kids experience healthy social interactions.
 Group work builds trust in social situations.
 Group work provides opportunities for group validation.
 Group work allows kids to try out new approaches to old
problems.
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COA Groups
Let them know they are not alone!
 Validate their perceptions and interpretations
 Help them gain some perspective
 Absolve them of blame
 Help them separate parent from parental behavior
 Offer hope, self-care skills and help to cope
 Provide a safe outlet for anger
 Explain risks of behavior, and how to identify safe
people in their lives
 Help build self-esteem
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What happens if adults don’t help?
Children are at greater risk for:
 Physical, verbal or emotional abuse
 Poor school performance
 Lacking of trust in others, including God
 Diminished spiritual life
 Truancy or trouble with the law
 Poor choice of life partners
 Diminished economic opportunities
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Clergy Need to Understand Family
Intervention
Engages the most significant people in the
addicted person’s life to:
– present a loving, structured, supportive and
coherent message of concern to an addicted
loved one;
– convince the person that alcohol/drug use is
creating painful problems for all involved;
– request that the person get help so that all can
recover and heal.
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Family Intervention Is...
 Carefully pre-planned
 Facilitated by a professional interventionist
 Includes key family members – spouses,
children, and other significant persons
 Uses loving, supportive language
 Includes “What if…?” bottom lines
 Would seldom include clergy or other
pastoral ministers
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The Vision
A faith community environment where all
members of a family affected by addiction
know there are knowledgeable and caring
clergy and other pastoral ministers who:
– understand what they are experiencing
– care about them and are available to them
– can help them find emotional and physical
safety and
– can support their healing and spiritual growth
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To Contact Us:
National Association for Children of
Alcoholics
www.nacoa.org
Steve Hornberger
shornberger@nacoa.org
American Association of Pastoral Counselors
www.aapc.org
Doug Ronsheim
doug@aapc.org
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