Get Support
Parent Coaching is offered as a service of the Partnership to End Addiction (the Partnership). It is our sincerest hope that our peer-to-peer support program will be as useful to you as it has been to many others.
When getting started, please keep in mind:
- All our Parent Coaches are trained and supported in collaboration with our partners at the CMC: Foundation for Change (CMC: FFC). You are strongly encouraged to access the 20-Minute Guide from CMC: FFC, either online for free, or by purchasing a copy. Highlighting parenting skills and examples, the guide will be very helpful to you as you work with your Coach. You may also wish to obtain a copy of the book Beyond Addiction by Dr. Jeffrey Foote. The book goes into more detail on ways to have productive conversations about substance use and encourage healthier behaviors while managing your own stressors.
- The Coach’s role is not to provide “the answer” or give solutions to the issues your family is facing. Their role is to listen with empathy and support you as you problem-solve together. Your Coach will guide you through ideas from the Invitation to Change Approach, which brings together the research-based principles of three therapies that are often used to address substance use: CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training), MI (Motivational Interviewing) and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy).
- Upon completing this assessment, you will be assigned to a Parent Coach. Coaches are usually able to make their initial contact within 2 business days. If you are signing up to receive peer support via phone, please check your text messages or email daily, including Junk/Spam folders so that you do not miss the introduction message from your Coach.
- You and your Parent Coach will work out a schedule that works for both of you. If you are communicating via phone, you and your Coach will have five conversations on the phone, usually about one hour in length, over the course of 5-6 weeks. If you are communicating via text message, you and your Coach will decide the frequency of communication and will work together for 14 days.
By participating in Coaching, you agree to the following:
- You are making a commitment to participate in the Coaching program. You can always decide that it is not right for you and stop receiving Coaching (by informing your Coach), but we ask that you value your volunteer Coach’s time and be responsive.
- You or the Partnership may end the coaching relationship at any time. If, during the course of coaching, you do not respond to your coach over five days, or if you are working with a coach via phone and miss more than one appointment, we will need to discontinue your coaching in order to help other families in need.
- There is no cost for this service. Parent Coaches are not therapists nor is Parent Coaching considered a substitute for therapy. Parent Coaches do not provide professional counseling or legal, financial or medical services. Neither the Parent Coach, CMC: FFC, nor the Partnership can guarantee any specific outcome for either you or your loved one. It is our sincerest hope however, that our peer-to-peer support program will be useful to you as it has been to others. To the extent permitted by law, you agree not to make any sort of legal claim against the Parent Coach, CMC: FFC or the Partnership.
- By signing up for this service, you agree that the parent coach assigned to you can read your chats and other communication with the Helpline so that they can understand a little more about your situation before providing peer support
If you feel that this is not a good time for you to commit to Coaching, you can always opt for one of our other free services offered through the Partnership. Please contact our Helpline again to receive our other resources and services.
If you have any questions about the above statements, please contact our Support Services team at familysupport@drugfree.org.