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In most cases, unless your child is considered a danger to themselves or others, they cannot be forced into treatment. You may believe that their drug use poses a danger to themselves as you witness the consequences firsthand, but that is not enough to force treatment, even if your child is under the age of 18.
Community Reinforcement and Family Training, or CRAFT, is an approach family members can use to help motivate behavior change in a loved one who is using substances. It uses specific strategies and tools to encourage reduced substance use and to engage a child in treatment, while attending to your own self-care. Y
Sometimes, rather than telling a person they need to be abstinent, suggesting help to get them to cut back can work. Even though this may not be the ultimate goal, it does get them into treatment and into discussions about how substance use may be impacting their lives.
The “back door” approach focuses on other problems the person might be experiencing, such as anxiety, depression or insomnia. Some people will agree to treatment with a problem other than their substance use, although at some point, this is likely to be discussed.
If there is a danger to themselves or others as defined by the courts, civil commitment laws can be invoked to mandate treatment. In the United States, 38 states have laws that permit civil commitment to inpatient or outpatient substance use treatment programs. An additional eight states have a form of involuntary treatment, such as emergency hospitalization due to substance-related concerns. The commitment process varies from state to state, so it’s important to look into what specifically is required for mandated treatment.
Want to connect with another parent who's been there?
Pat is one of our volunteer Parent Coaches. Like all of our coaches, she knows first-hand the challenges of helping a child with addiction. In addition to their own experiences, all parent coaches receive extensive and on-going training.