Addiction and the Family International Network (AFINet) Webinar Series
- brings together researchers, policy-makers and practitioners;
- promotes the well-being of family members, friends and colleagues who are affected by or concerned about another person’s problems with or addiction to alcohol, drugs or gambling; and
- develops research, policy and practice in the field.
All Webinars are recorded and those recordings are made available a few days later on the AFINet website www.afinetwork.info/webinar-series/recent-webinars. The list of past Webinars is below, beneath the programme for future ones.
Participation in each webinar is free, but to join, you MUST register beforehand. For each Webinar that you are interested in, please register in the few days before it starts, via webropol.com/s/afinetwebinar. Below the programme you can find a video recording of each Webinar that has been presented so far, along with the PowerPoint slides for that Webinar. As we are a small charity, if you can donate a small amount for each webinar, this would be really appreciated. We suggest 30Euro/Dollars or £25 Paypal takes about 5% of the payment and banks can take up to 20% so Paypal is preferable.
Payment Details – You can request an invoice – gillvelleman@gmail.com
You can either pay through the website through Paypal (click here) or pay by BACS or web transfer.
Bank: CO-OP. Name: Addiction & the Family International Ntwrk
Address: PO box 250, Delf House, Southwat, Skelmersdale WN8 6WT, uk
Sort Code: 08-92-99. A/C No: 65824603
BIC: CPBK GB22. IBAN: GB70 CPBK 0892 9965 8246 03
Future Webinars
AFINet Webinars will take place on alternate months: November, January, March, May, November (with a break in July/August) and will move between Tuesday/ Wednesday/ Thursday, so people with regular commitments on one of those days will still be able to attend on the others.
Date: Wednesday 18th March 2026: 09.00 UK; 19.00 Queensland; 20.00 Sydney
Note: The time in Europe is earlier than usual due to the speakers’ location. Other times: www.worldtimebuddy.com
Title: The Family and Friend Support Programs: Development and Pilot Testing of a Web-Based Well-Being and Resilience Intervention for Family Members and Friends Supporting a Loved One Using Alcohol or Other Drugs
Presenters:
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Steph Kershaw, PhD, Research Fellow & Project Lead for Cracks in the Ice, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance, University of Sydney
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Dara Sampson, PhD, Senior Research Fellow, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle
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Jessica Deng, MClinPsych, Research Assistant, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance, University of Sydney
Chair: Dr. Julie Perrin, The Karuna Centre
Description:
Despite the well-documented psychosocial challenges faced by family members and friends supporting a loved one using alcohol or other drugs (AOD), few mental health and well-being interventions are tailored to their needs. To address this gap, the Family and Friend Support Program (FFSP) was co-designed in 2019 with affected family members and friends (AFFMs).
FFSP is a world-first, evidence-based, web-based intervention developed using the Stress-Strain-Coping-Support Model and the 5-Step Method. Pilot testing with 131 AFFMs demonstrated that FFSP is both feasible and acceptable, and that it has the potential to address a critical unmet need for family-focused AOD support.
This webinar will provide an overview of the co-development process, share results from the pilot testing, and discuss implications for future service development and research.
To register (mandatory): Please use the following link :
👉 https://webropol.com/s/afinetwebinar
Upon registration you will receive the Zoom/Teams link to participate in the Webinar.
Date: Tuesday 12th May 2026: 09.00 Vancouver time; 16.00 UK; 17.00 Western Europe; 18.00 Finland
NOTE THE TIME IN EUROPE IS EARLIER THAN USUAL, DUE TO THE SPEAKERS’ LOCATION. Other times: www.worldtimebuddy.com
Title: “I don’t know what we should have done differently”: A qualitative study on the dilemmas of tough love and toxic drugs in British Columbia, Canada
Presenters: Jennifer Hawkins, Amy Salmon, Steve Esau, Daniel Snyder & Mike Sikora
Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences / School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia / Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia/ Pacific Community Resources Society / Lookout Health & Housing Society / City of Abbotsford, Department of Housing & Homelessness
Chair: Dr. Anja Bischof, Universität zu Lübeck
Description:
This presentation will share findings from a qualitative study examining affected family members’ (AFMs) perspectives and approaches surrounding the concept of “tough love” in the Fraser East, a culturally conservative, semi-urban and rural region in British Columbia. British Columbia is currently the epicentre of the toxic drug crisis in Canada, where unregulated drug poisonings have become the leading cause of death for individuals aged 10–59.
We conducted 22 semi-structured interviews with AFMs about their perceptions and experiences during the toxic drug crisis, with particular attention to how “tough love” constructs shaped their relationships with, and responses to, loved ones at risk. Within the context of the current crisis, AFMs described facing agonizing decisions about how to offer support.
Answering the basic question — “What do I do?” — involved complex negotiations mediated by three main factors:
1. Perceived potential outcomes across various and competing harms.
2. Beliefs, attitudes, and values concerning love and compassion, the nature of drug use, and personal agency.
3. Available personal assets or social capital.
Participants frequently expressed significant uncertainty and regret, often unsupported and sometimes exacerbated by co-dependency theory–derived dichotomies of “tough love” versus “enabling.” Within the highly pressurised context of a toxic illicit drug supply, normative language and “rock bottom” narratives shaped and complicated relational negotiations.
We conclude that AFMs require nuanced and robust frameworks to support decision-making within both moral and pragmatic limits. The presentation will feature specific stories and examples, and the discussion will explore “rock bottom” narratives, common governmental approaches, and the nature and function of potent opioids.
To register (mandatory): Please use the following link (available after the previous Webinar):
https://webropol.com/s/afinetwebinar
Upon registration you will receive the Zoom/Teams link to participate in the Webinar.
Make A Donation
As a charitable organisation, we rely on donations to keep going. If you would like to make a donation, please add in your amount you want to donate in the box below where it says 20. This amount is in pounds so please adjust to take account of any conversions from your currency. Please be aware that Paypal takes about 5% of your fees so if you want AFINet to receive the full amount, please increase your amount- all is appreciated.
