For families
Substance misuse affects not only the substance user, but also their families - parents, children, siblings and partners. The effects of substance misuse vary from family to family, and include social isolation, harm caused through neglect, financial burdens and ill-health. KCA responds to these effects in a number of ways.
Our Support Groups for Carers provide an advice and information giving and sharing forum for those affected.
Our Sunlight Project works with the children of substance misusing parents to ensure these vulnerable children receive the help and support they need to cope with their parent's substance use.
The Substance Misusing Parents team works with Social Services to identify parents whose substance misuse is putting their children at risk, providing key working and access to treatment services so that families can stay together when possible.
The Family Therapy team work with familes and couples, exploring the effect of substance misuse and helping families cope with, not just the substance misuse, but the anger, hurt and upset the substance misuse has caused over time.
Our Counselling service is open to partners and family members of substance misusers (whether a client of the service or not), providing a safe space in which to explore the emotional effects the substance misuse of another is having, and developing practical ways of managing and channelling these emotions.
Finally, KCA has a range of leaflets offering suggestions and guidance to those affected by another's substance misuse. You can also look on the Links page for links to organisations that work specifically with those affected by another's substance misuse.