Kids' Place: Substance Abuse Prevention Program
Kids' Place is a Hanley Center prevention program designed to serve kids ages 6-12 who have parents or family members dealing with alcohol and/or substance abuse issues or is in recovery from drug and alcohol abuse.
The FREE Kids' Place prevention program helps kids
- Understand that chemical dependency is a disease
- Recognize how they may have been affected by addiction
- Understand the risks of a child genetically predisposed to the disease
There are 10 sessions in the program, each 90 minutes long, held on Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Hanley Resource Center. The final session joins the family in a family dinner and an evening of fun activities full of positive family interaction.
We also offer a Kids’ Place Community Program, which consists of six free 60-minute sessions in a designated community location.
Programs are offered in a variety of settings including the Hanley Center campus, schools, community centers, and religious facilities. School counselors, teachers, religious professionals, family members, and community leaders identify children who are appropriate for the program and refer them to attend.
Sessions cover topics including:
Addiction
Helps children
- Understand the disease of alcohol and drug addiction
- Realize that addiction is not their fault
- Realize that they are not alone living in families with addiction
- Middle and high school age children understand they are at increased risk for addiction
Feelings
Helps children
- Identify and express both comfortable and uncomfortable feelings
- Understand how feelings may affect them and how they can handle feelings in safe ways
- Understand there are safe people with whom they can share feelings and get support
Safe People
Helps children
- Understand the need for and importance of staying safe
- Understand the characteristics that make people “safe people”
- Realize that it’s OK to ask safe people for help
Coping Techniques
Helps children
- Find ways to communicate with family members
- Practice self-care strategies
- Realize there are safe people and places to help them
Problem Solving
Helps children
- Find new ways to solve problems
- Understand that all their choices have consequences
- Realize there are safe people and places to help them
Treatment and Recovery
Helps children
- Understand that people with addiction need help to recover
- Realize they can’t fix their parents’ problems, but can work on their own self care
- Realize that treatment and aftercare assist addicted people to get better
Small groups offer participants a sense of safety and comfort in open discussions concerning the effects on the family dealing with chemical dependency.
For more information about this and other prevention programs at Hanley Center, email us or call our Prevention Department at 561-841-1213.
