CPFHR

Inspiring Hope, Healing & Health in All Families

Many we love experience the destructive consequences of substance use disorder (SUD). With your help, we can reach out to them.

Your generosity sparks hope and success for 
families moving toward recovery.

The Rapidly Escalating SUD Problem

The impact of SUD is staggering and rapidly escalating. In Minnesota, preventable deaths attributable to alcohol increased by 1/3 between 2000 and 2010, and more than doubled between 2010 and 2020, and deaths due to drug overdose increased approximately 10-fold from 2000 to 2020.  In Olmsted County, alcohol-attributable deaths increased by 77% and drug overdose deaths increased by 61% from 2019 to 2020, bringing local incidences to levels similar to those in Minnesota as a whole.

For each person who dies of alcohol- or drug-related causes,
 many more live with the devastating effects of SUD. 
And so do their families.

Children, families, and caregivers affected by someone else's SUD often experience a chaotic lifestyle. They live with shame, isolation and fear; financial instability; food and housing insecurity; domestic violence; mental illness; and more. Although parental SUD often has a devastating impact on the family, resources for children and caregivers are limited and insufficient.

We are a volunteer, 501(c)(3) academic-community partnership dedicated to helping the families, caregivers, and children of individuals with SUD.

100% of your donation will go to developing evidence-based resources and support for children, families, and caregivers affected by SUD.

Current Projects

• Research to better understand the experiences and needs of children and caregivers.  Results of our first research study were published in August 2021.  A second protocol in development will directly assess the needs of children and caregivers influenced by SUD in the family.  
  
• An ongoing weekly Family Recovery Group beginning in January 2022, using a combined educational and peer support model.
  
• Improving community involvement by giving evidence-based presentations to various organizations and by developing partnerships to bridge gaps in services.
  
• Harm reduction, including Narcan training to prevent overdose deaths.

For more information, visit https://cpfhr.org or email contact at cpfhr.org.

Photos: Pixabay on Pexels; Ben White, 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič, Luke Southern on Unsplash.

Children 

Children living with parental addiction need extensive support.  The stress they experience may overwhelm their ability to cope, alter brain development and create the potential for life-long problems. They are 4 times more likely than their peers to develop SUD.

• Leaving Keisha at daycare is heart wrenching. She clings to Grandma and panics when she's out of sight. Mommy has already left her— what if Grandma leaves too?  How can Grandma explain that Mommy has a disease called SUD? How can she help Keisha learn to trust again?
• Sara is 7 years old. The DARE police officer tells her class that drugs are dangerous, even deadly. Sara's parents use drugs. She wants to tell someone her terrible secret but she loves her parents and is afraid they will get in trouble. She wants to run out of the room so she doesn't have to listen. But she tries to act cool so no one will suspect.
• Jimmy is 15 months old. When he awoke this morning, he called for Mommy. But he got no response—even when he began to cry. Jimmy is in his crib and the house is very quiet. He is hungry, wet, and scared—something is very wrong. Where is Mommy?

Parents

It's easy to be angry at the parents, but anger, blame and shame don't help. Despite their determination to be good parents, loving parents with SUD may find it very difficult to prioritize the needs of children over their cravings. That is the nature of SUD. 

• Jimmy’s mom struggles with alcoholism. She did well in outpatient treatment, but services were cut due to COVID‑19. She fights her cravings, but relapsed last night. She is passed out, but will be devastated and remorseful when she awakens.

Caregivers

Caregivers who step in to care for the children face many challenges such as financial distress, intrafamilial conflict, social isolation, and stress-related health problems. Their ability to provide for children is hampered by the difficulty of navigating complex social services. Most struggle alone and in silence.

• Jimmy’s grandfather is worried about his daughter, who hasn't answered the phone. He leaves work to check on her and finds her passed out. Jimmy is frantic and clings to Grandpa with desperation. Grandpa is heartsick about his daughter, who had been doing so well, and afraid for Jimmy.

It doesn't have to be this way.

We believe that:

• It's possible for the person with SUD to recover and the family to heal.
• It's possible to provide evidence-based resources and support to help children and families thrive despite parental SUD.
• Together we can create and sustain compassionate community pathways to family health and recovery.  Each new day brings hope.