The Family Repair Program is designed with the goal to help support people who use substances and their families by providing education, training and facilitating connections. Additionally, the families can be connected with a clinician to provide therapy/counselling at no cost to the family. These sessions can include family members and the person who is using substances, or could start with the family separately with the goal to engage the person who uses substances in later sessions. The Family Repair Program aims to ease the effects of substance use on families and facilitate reconnection or acceptance, with the hopes that this can improve the relationships between people who use substances and their families.
Goals for the Program
- Reconnecting families with their loved ones.
- Enhancing natural supports for individuals who use substances.
- Providing education to families.
- Reducing stigma within our community.
- Decreasing financial barriers to access high quality counselling.
- Identifying and addressing gaps in services for families impacted by substance use.
This program consists of two parts:
- The Family Engagement Worker, who will be working with Community Agencies and the public to provide education and awareness and engage families to participate in the program. They can also offer services such as mediation and providing referrals to other agencies, as well as connecting the families to no cost family therapy.
- Family Therapy – Free sessions with a therapist which can include the family and person who uses substances if all are willing to participate OR may start with the family separately and then engage the person who uses substances later.
Who Can Access Services
The priority population are those who engage in high risk forms of substance use and are currently unhoused or experiencing housing instability. The Family Engagement Worker will engage with people who access services at various drop in and shelter locations in Kingston and who have an interest in reconnecting with their families. Family members who have a loved one engaged in high risk substance use may also reach out for support at the contact information below.
This program is brought to you by Support Not Stigma initiative with a generous grant from Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addiction Program (SUAP). For more information about this initiative, please visit https://supportnotstigma.ca
