Parents in recovery

Having experience of other programmes we adopted SFSC because it was most applicable to this client group, not only because it deals with issues like violence, drugs and depression which are particularly relevant but also addresses a range of issues such as family culture, traditions and history, the importance of community involvement, relaxation techniques, anger management and rites of passage. All of these components help to give parents skills that they might not have learned previously particularly if they came from dysfunctional families themselves. We feel that this course not only deals with the challenges that are thrown up in every day family life but also promotes a more holistic view allowing the students the opportunity to empower themselves and take a more active role than they might have done previously.

Some parents felt that there are particular problems associated with children from families with addiction problems, especially when one looks at the fact that many of these children have been or are in the care of the local authorities and because of this many are understandably either angry or depressed. The programme specifically looks at these types of problems and the way that they can be addressed.

Group dynamics
The majority of participants were very committed to the course, after the first few weeks a very strong bond arose between group members. A high level of trust was built up which was fostered not only by the group dynamics, but by the parent sharing which meant the group all learnt a lot about each other. This was also helped by the group discussions, which involved all group members, where some very personal information was shared.

Parents in recovery seem to share more readily than other parents probably because they have had to look at themselves closely and are usually used to sharing in groups either in treatment or at meetings (AA, NA etc).

Barriers to attendance and solutions 
Some of the parents attended the course because they are or were trying to get their children back from the care of local authorities or relatives and some were present because they realised there were problems with their parenting skills and wished to improve them. Obviously many of the parents that came on the course could have been prevented from attending by a number of elements, which include: 

• Negative prior experience of education
• Low self esteem
• Lack of motivation
• Motivation by coercion (Social Services etc)
• Being preoccupied with personal problems
• Learning disabilities or difficulties

The majority of these barriers are societal with the exception of the last, which is institutional. We are able to overcome these barriers by:

Offering support

• Using counselling skills showing empathy, active listening, positive body language, encouraging parents to contribute by making them feel valued with praise, smiling, nodding, etc
• Providing refreshments
• Playing gentle music 

All of these are designed to make the parents feel at ease by making the learning environment as pleasant as possible, by being as supportive as possible, by improving their self esteem, by being encouraging and praising and by helping their motivation by ringing them if they were absent. This was supported by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and his work on motivation. We experience a barrier to learning when something else occupies our mind preventing us from focusing the necessary attention on what is to be learnt. Maslow states that basic needs have to be met before effective learning can be undertaken and self-actualisation can occur.

1. We ensured that basic needs were met by providing refreshments, arranging chairs to remove the feeling of a classroom setting and providing adequate breaks (physical)
2. We treated learners fairly and ensured confidentiality (safety and shelter)
3. We promoted interaction between students, promoted cohesive class climate and showed empathy sharing personal details when appropriate (love and belonging)
4. We encouraged independence, praised when appropriate, welcomed their ideas and treated the parents with dignity and respect (self esteem)
5. Lastly we were enthusiastic and supportive, promoted optimism, encouraged future plans and were positive about the future (self actualisation)