Addiction is a family disease.
When a member of the family suffers from addiction the whole family is affected. It's impossible to care about an alcoholic or chemically dependent loved one without experiencing emotional pain. Recovery offers many positive benefits for the family. At Cumberland Heights we encourage family members to actively participate in the treatment process and begin to establish their own recovery.
Many times a family's involvement begins before the patient is admitted. Family members provide valuable information to our staff, including how addiction has impacted both the patient and the family. Their input significantly shapes treatment. With the family's help we are able to develop a personalized treatment plan that respects the needs and desires of the entire family.
Attend Family Week
Around the third week of treatment, family members are invited to take part in Family Week. The program generally meets Monday through Thursday; however, schedule changes can be made to accommodate family members. Your family counselor will provide more details. For First Step participants, in lieu of Family Week, there are introductory group sessions that prepare the family for full participation in the Family Program during the outpatient portion of treatment. Family treatment is essential to total recovery; therefore, family members are involved in all of our outpatient programs. Once treatment is complete, family members are also encouraged to attend Family Aftercare and Al-Anon meetings. Your family counselor can give you schedules for these meetings.
One a person is admitted for residential treatment, family members continue to be an important source of emotional and spiritual support and further enrich the treatment experience by their participation in the Family Program. Cumberland Heights offers a variety of resources to help the family cope with their loved one's disease and participate in their own recovery. During our weeklong Family Program, we help you understand the nature of addiction and how it impacts the ways families function. We teach you how to become a part of the solution by opening the lines of communication and by adopting healthier habits and behaviors. Special programs for children and adolescents whose lives have been impacted by addiction are also available.
After your family completes treatment, the family is eligible to participate in the Family Aftercare Program. This program provides a safe place for family members to continue their own recovery. You can attend aftercare groups at various Cumberland Heights locations across middle Tennessee.