Understanding Birth Parent Addiction And the Impact on the Children - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Understanding Birth Parent Addiction

And the Impact on the Children in Your Home

1

Intro

• Ground Rules & Introductions:
• OCWTP Guidelines
• “Who are you & What would you like to

get from this training session?”

2

Course Outline

• Group Guidelines &

Intros

• Brainology 101
• Progression of Addiction
• Communication
• Visitation
• Birthparent challenges
• Foster child challenges
• More

communication

3

Intro (9:00AM - 9:45AM)

Who am I? Who are you?

4

Problem

Substance use prevents a parent from being a good caregiver.

Do you think “use” compromises caregiving? Or just “addiction”?

• The addict brain is compromised

and as a result;

The addict cannot keep themselves safe. Cannot adequately insure their children’s safety Risk-taking Health jeopardy Illegal industry is sketchy, erratic and often dangerous.

5

Problem

4

Problem

Foster Families are challenged when a child comes from these chaotic environments.

When addiction is the norm Often abuse Neglect

The most important example can be:

Providing consistent structure Healthy boundaries

Important for both the foster child and the birth-family

6

Problem

4

Problem

• Understanding

addiction can help foster parents be compassionate without being co- dependent.

7

Problem

4

Goals

Upon completing this 
 training, participants will:

Substance use changes the brain Limbic systems Reward center Bypasses the cortex (self-will, self-control)

8

Goals

Upon completing this 
 training, participants will:

Increase options on how to deal with a 
 parent who show up for a visit with a child under
 the influence of a mood or mind altering chemical and how to communicate that information to the child appropriately.

9

Goals

Upon completing this training, 
 participants will:

Speak plainly to kids about addiction Cultivate an open dialog for the kids to voice how addiction has manifested in their family. Will be more comfortable with the wide range of emotions involved in dealing with addiction.

10

Goals

Upon completing this 
 training, participants will:

Will understand the value in

Stay positive, Compassionate Engaged 


In positive, active foster parenting and dealing with the treatment/recovery/parenting issues of the birth families.

11

Goals

Upon completing this 
 training, participants will:

How to prevent codependence Improper enmeshment with birth families Healthy boundaries so you don’t get drained.

12

Brainology 101:

SOURCE: NIDA: “Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction” http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/science-addiction

13

What is up with that Addict Brain?

Brainology 101:

What is up with that Addict Brain?

• Four chemicals:


• Dopamine
• Serotonin
• GABA
• Norepinephrine

SOURCE: NIDA: “Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction” http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/science- addiction

14

Brainology 101:

What is up with that Addict Brain?

SOURCE: NIDA: “Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction” http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/science- addiction

15

4 


chemicals

• Dopamine
• Serotonin
• GABA
• Norepinephrine

serotonin

Norepinephrine

GABA

dopamine

Brainology 101: DOPAMINE

Ambition Motivation Enjoyment

“Let’s go, let’s go let’s go!!!”

SOURCE: NIDA: “Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction” http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/science- addiction

16

• Hi. I’m

Mister Dopamine

Brainology 101: SEROTONIN Mood Control SSRIs Sensory Perception

Temperature Regulation

SOURCE: NIDA: “Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction” http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/science- addiction

17

Brainology 101: GABA

Calmness Relaxation Quality Sleep

Benzodiazepines


(Valium, Xanax)

Relieves Craving

SOURCE: NIDA: “Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction” http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/science- addiction

18

Brainology 101: Norepinephrine

Selective Focus Paranoia Fight or Flight

Arousal

Moods Elevated HR/BP

SOURCE: NIDA: “Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction” http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/science- addiction

19

Can You Relate? 5 min

1.Cofgee? 2.Chocolate ? 3.A beer or glass of wine on Friday with friends?

20

Can You Relate? (25 min)

21

“What do you do to make it all better?”

:: Food :: sex :: satisfaction :: happy :: mad :: hurt :: depressed :: stress :: panic :: scared ::

“What do you do do make it all better for your children?”

Can You Relate? - Discussion (25 min)

22

• Positive vs. Maladaptive
• Definition of “Addiction”
• Compulsive Use
• “Unmanageability”

“Addicts found something that ‘made it all better’ and unfortunately it changed their brain so that it has plugged into all the wrong sockets of their brain and it is really, really diffjcult for it to get unplugged.” “Once unplugged, the brain has to be retrained to provide it with something that is better and more fulfilling than what they think they were getting from drugs."

Positive vs. Maladaptive

23

Definition of “Addiction”

• 1. Compulsive Use
• 2. Consequences

24

SOURCE: American Society of Addiction Medicine, Public Policy Definition, 
 http://www.asam.org/for-the-public/definition-of-addiction.

Advantages

From the child’s perspective, the advantages are:

• Opportunity to preserve sense of identity and history.
• Bonding and attachment to family of origin preserved.
• Enhanced self-esteem.
• Decreased sense of abandonment or rejection.
• Potential for increased contact with birth family.
• Two families to love and be loved by.
• Smoother transitions and decreased crisis and conflict.
• Visitation more easily executed and supported.
• Consistent messages from birth and care-taking parents.
• Foster parents seen as supporting birth parents in a non-

judgmental way.

• Reduced feelings of divided loyalties to two families.
• Support for birth parents in making an appropriate

permanency plan, other than return home.

• Child’s needs better met through collaborative relationships

amongst families and professionals.

• Increased possibility of the foster family remaining in the

child’s life when the child leaves that family; meaningful relationships not lost.

From the parent’s perspective, the advantages are:

• Bonding and attachment to child are preserved.
• Feeling of being respected for what one knows about

the child.

• Anxiety reduced by knowing with whom the child is

living.

• Ability to share parent’s expertise about child.
• Better communication and information sharing.
• Greater awareness of the child’s daily activities and

lifestyle.

• Decreased feelings of animosity and isolation.
• Smoother visitation arrangements.
• Boundaries and roles clarified.

From the foster parent’s perspective, the advantages are :

• Ability to gain accurate and comprehensive

information form the birth family.

• Better able to understand the child’s experience and,

therefore, assist the child.

• Reduced discord between the families.
• Smoother arrangements for visitation.
• Opportunity to learn about the child’s culture and

ethnicity so that his/her identity can continue to develop.

• Easier adjustment for child that lessens conflicts.
• Feelings of competition reduced.
• Easier transition home or to another permanent

placement.

• Lifelong relationship with child may be maintained.
• Participation as a team player with all parties.

From the social worker’s perspective, the advantages are :

• Good communication and relationship create collaboration that reduces tension.
• Direct communication between parents make the job easier.
• Visitation runs more smoothly.
• Better communication from functioning as a team.
• Reality of foster care is more evident to the birth parent if everyone is involved as a

team.

• Issues can be addressed more effectively in a direct manner.
• Foster parent can serve as an advocate, mentor, or role model for birth parent.
• Morale booster when parties are working with each other and not against each other.
• Creates a trusting relationship that encourages cooperation.
• In the long run, can reduce the social worker’s role as a primary coordinator, allowing

the social worker to serve as a leader rather than as a constant mediator.

http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/fewpt/partnerships.htm

25

From the Child’s perspective, the advantages are:

• Opportunity to preserve sense of identity and history.
• Bonding and attachment to family of origin preserved.
• Enhanced self-esteem.
• Decreased sense of abandonment or rejection.
• Potential for increased contact with birth family.
• Two families to love and be loved by.
• Smoother transitions and decreased crisis and conflict.
• Visitation more easily executed and supported.
• Consistent messages from birth and care-taking parents.
• Foster parents seen as supporting birth parents in a non-judgmental way.
• Reduced feelings of divided loyalties to two families.
• Support for birth parents in making an appropriate permanency plan, other than return home.
• Child’s needs better met through collaborative relationships amongst families and professionals.
• Increased possibility of the foster family remaining in the child’s life when the child leaves that family; meaningful relationships not

lost.

http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/fewpt/partnerships.htm

26 From the Social Worker’s perspective, the advantages are :

• Good communication and relationship create collaboration that reduces tension.
• Direct communication between parents make the job easier.
• Visitation runs more smoothly.
• Better communication from functioning as a team.
• Reality of foster care is more evident to the birth parent if everyone is involved as a

team.

• Issues can be addressed more effectively in a direct manner.
• Foster parent can serve as an advocate, mentor, or role model for birth parent.
• Morale booster when parties are working with each other and not against each other.
• Creates a trusting relationship that encourages cooperation.
• In the long run, can reduce the social worker’s role as a primary coordinator, allowing

the social worker to serve as a leader rather than as a constant mediator.

From the Foster Parent’s perspective, the advantages are :

• Ability to gain accurate and comprehensive information form the birth family.
• Better able to understand the child’s experience and, therefore, assist the child.
• Reduced discord between the families.
• Smoother arrangements for visitation.
• Opportunity to learn about the child’s culture and ethnicity so that his/her identity

can continue to develop.

• Easier adjustment for child that lessens conflicts.
• Feelings of competition reduced.
• Easier transition home or to another permanent placement.
• Lifelong relationship with child may be maintained.
• Participation as a team player with all parties.
• From the Birth Parent’s perspective, the advantages are:
• Bonding and attachment to child are preserved.
• Feeling of being respected for what one knows about the child.
• Anxiety reduced by knowing with whom the child is living.
• Ability to share parent’s expertise about child.
• Better communication and information sharing.
• Greater awareness of the child’s daily activities and lifestyle.
• Decreased feelings of animosity and isolation.
• Smoother visitation arrangements.
• Boundaries and roles clarified.
• Opportunity to benefit from role modeling and mentoring by the foster parent.
• Increased skills and confidence, which in turn increases likelihood of reunification.
• Goal of reunification remains real; promotes achievement of reunification or another permanency

goal more quickly.

Birth Parents’ Grief Process

Shock Protest Adjustment

Adapted from Charles Horejsi’s “Working with Biological Parents”

27

Stages

• Transformations
• Hardcore Denial
• Windows of Opportunity
• Running Dialogue of

Information

• Try…and Try Again
• Let’s Make a New

Mistake!

28

Stages

• Learning to Be Gentle with

Ourselves

• Forgiveness, Gratitude and

Change

• Remember that it is all growth
• Remember it is not on our

timeline

• Do your part. Know that the

“magic” will happen when it is supposed to…as frustrating as that is.

29

Communicating the Hard Stuff

Talking to the Addict

Be Real Reflective Listening

30

RESOURCE: RISE MAGAZINE: Stories By And For Parents Afgected By The Child Welfare System : http://www.risemagazine.org/

Showing up Stoned

• Staying Safe
• Convincing the parent that we are all on the “same side”
• My values? Your values?...The child’s rights...the parents rights. What is “right”?
• “Is my ego in the way?” The danger of false pride?
• Focus on the needs of the kids.

31

How to protect yourself while staying positive. RESOURCE: RISE MAGAZINE: Stories By And For Parents Afgected By The Child Welfare System : http://www.risemagazine.org/

Not showing up at all

Stressing how consistency is so important to parenting Learning how to be supportive Carrots and sticks

So easy to hate these people…but that doesn’t help anyone

How to get past the frustration

32

Facilitating Visits

• 1. DISCUSSION: “What it is like being a family with a child in foster care”

2.“...caring for a child with a birth family in the child welfare system” 3.“...being a kid in the child welfare system”

33

RESOURCE: Accounting for Culture in Supervised Visitation Practices : http://www.ncjfcj.org/sites/default/files/synergy-10-2.pdf

Diversity & Culture

34

RESOURCE: An Overview of Foster Care Family Visitation Issues: http://www.casaforchildren.org/atf/cf/%7B9928CF18-EDE9-4AEB-9B1B-3FAA416A6C7B%7D/ 0606_family_visitation_issue_0036.pdf

Talking to the Kids (60 min) 2:45pm – 3:45PM

• 1. Explaining addiction as a ‘sickness’
• 2. Providing information without excuses
• 3. It is not their fault
• 4. They are not alone
• 5. It is okay to talk
• 6. It is okay to ask questions

35

Handout: “It’s Not Your Fault”

• Older Kids (20 min)
• Kids are smart…they know.
• Don’t patronize them.
• Ask them what they know. Let

them lead the conversation and fill in the blanks for them. Keep it simple.

http://www.nacoa.org/ondcpbro.pdf

36

Handout: “It’s Not Your Fault”

• Kids may emulate the

substance use of their parents (20 min)

• How to approach
• Resources to deal with

substance use

• Information/Prevention
• Treatment

http://www.nacoa.org/ondcpbro.pdf

37

The Seven “C”s

• I didn’t Cause it,
• I can’t Cure it,
• I can’t Control it.
• I can Care for myself by
• Communicating my

feelings, making healthy

• Choices and
• Celebrating myself.

38

Closing

• 1. GROUP DISCUSSION: (15 min)

“How will you use today’s information?”

• 2. Provide several scenarios and

select some challenges to discuss to close the training with participants.

• 3. Resource & Reference

Handout

39