Webinars that have been presented so far

Date: Wednesday 27th November 2024, 9.00 Quebec Time; 14.00 UK Time; 15.00 Germany; 16.00 Finland; 19.30 India (other times: https://www.woldtimebuddy.com).
Title: Concerned Significant Others of people with problematic internet use: Identifying dimensions to include in their assessment.
Presenters: Dr Francine Ferland, Ph.D., Professor Joel Trembly, Ph.D., Caroline Thériault Centre de recherche du CISS-CA, Univerisité du Québec à Trois-Rivères, Université du L’uval.
Description: Over the last 2 decades, problematic internet use (PIU) has become a serious public health issue. Yet very few studies have taken into consideration the concerned significant others (CSOs) of people with PIU. In order to identify dimensions to include in the assessment of CSOs of people with PIU, a scoping review was undertaken which identified 6 articles published between 2000 and 2019. The Webinar described these and highlight the dimensions which should be taken into consideration when evaluating the needs of partners. It also highlighted the very limited research on the experience reported by CSOs.

Date: Wednesday, 17th July 2024, 14.00 UK Time; 15.00 Germany etc.; 16.00 Finland, 9:00 am Quebec; other times: www.timeanddate.com/worldclock)
Title: The Invitation to Change (ITC) Approach – family support for the 2020s? Our experience supporting families globally using ITC
Presenters: Dave and Tina James, Founders of the www.alternat-i-ves.org website.
Description: In the UK alone, five million family members (source: https://adfam.org.uk) are seriously affected by their loved ones’ use of alcohol and other drugs (AODs). Overwhelmingly, the services focus on the person struggling with substances. The Invitation to Change (ITC) approach is designed from the ground up to help professionals and family members, like Dave and Tina, support themselves and their loved ones. ITC is based upon Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) combined with Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ITC is developed by the Center for Motivation and Change in New York, the authors of the book, Beyond Addiction. Dave and Tina are currently the only people in the UK supporting families globally using this latest method. They gave an introduction to the ITC wheel and how they successfully use it to support families like themselves.

Date: Wednesday 15th May 2024, 9.00 Mountain Daylight Time, 16.00 UK time; 17.00 Germany etc; 18.00 Finland, other times: www.timeanddate.com/worldclock)
Title: Conjoint Therapy: effects on both the problem user and affected family members
Presenters: Professor Barbara McCrady, Distinguished Professor Emerita, University of New Mexico, USA
Description: Since the mid-1970s, Professor McCrady has been a pioneer in the development of interventions which focus on conjoint therapy (working with couples where one person has a serious alcohol or other addiction problem) as well as developing other approaches involving social networks, cognitive behavioural therapy, mutual help groups, and therapies for women. In this Webinar she provided a brief overview of her family-involved treatment model and the drinking outcomes that it leads to, followed by more qualitative data on family perspectives on participating in treatment with the IP, their verbal behaviour in sessions, and how these relate to drinking outcomes..

Date: Tuesday 12th March 2024, 14.00 UK time, 15.00 Danish time other times: www.timeanddate.com/worldclock)
Title: Problematic parental substance use, childhood family structures and adverse outcomes in young adulthood
Presenters: Dr Kirsten Frederiksen, Associate Professor at Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Aarhus University, Denmark
Description: This Webinar looked at a variety of structural issues which impact on the outcomes for children growing up with a parent with problematic substance use. Dr Frederiksen has undertaken considerable research in this area (her PhD was on the consequences for children when parents have substance use problems). This Webinar provides information about her entire Ph.D. thesis and then specifically looks at her recent study which investigated (using a combination of surveys and national register data) the association between childhood family structures and adverse outcomes during adolescence/young adulthood. This research found that one of her initial hypotheses (that the longer a child lived with a parent with substance use problems, the greater the level of adverse outcomes in young adulthood) was not supported. In terms of resilience, it also supported the suggestion that growing up with both parents (regardless of whether there is PPSU or not) is a clear protective factor, whereas growing up with a parent with long-term unemployment or mental health issues is a significant risk factor.

Date: Thursday 18th January 2024, 14.00 UK time, 15.00 Swedish and German time, other times: www.timeanddate.com/worldclock)
Title: The 'Me & My Family' programme in Sweden
Presenters: Ann Lyrberg, Department of Social Work and Criminology, Gävle University, and Centre for Research and Development, Uppsala University/Region Gävleborg, Sweden and Dr Kari Jess, Department of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, Sweden
Description: Children of parents with substance use problems (SUP) tend to have poorer health and underperform in school, affecting their childhood development and future opportunities. An intervention for families with parental SUP, provided by Swedish social services outpatient care, named Me and My Family, supports cooperation between case managers working with alcohol misuse and child protection. The intervention includes eight weekly sessions, focuses on improving the children’s situation, and is an example of preventive work. The webinar presents the programme, results from an outcome study and interviews with children about their experiences of the intervention.

Date: Tuesday 14th November 2023, 09.00am UK time (10.00am Germany etc; 11.00am Finland; 20.00 pm, Melbourne time, other times: www.timeanddate.com/worldclock)
Title: An Australian case study of an online group education and support program: BreakThrough: Families Understanding Addiction
Presenter: Dr Annette Peart, Research Fellow in Addiction Studies, Monash University and Turning Point and Mr Rob Campbell, Programme Manager, Family Drug and Gambling Help, Melbourne, Australia
Description: Education programs for affected family members aim to assist in improving coping skills, understanding of addiction, and provide support, yet these have not been subjected to in-depth research, especially programs delivered by peers, or people with lived experience. BreakThrough is a program for family, friends and partners of people with addictive behaviours and offers practical strategies about how to talk to loved ones about their substance use, better respond to and manage challenging behaviours, and make self-care a priority. This Webinar reported on a collaboration between Monash University, Turning Point, and the Self Help Addiction Resource Centre to understand the participant experience of BreakThrough, and develop and evaluate an online support group supplementing BreakThrough.

Date: Wednesday 20th September 2023, 10am UK time (11am Germany etc; 12 noon Finland; 7pm Eastern Australian time; other times: times: www.timeanddate.com/worldclock)
Title: Family member and friend treatment for gambling harm: Development of a self-directed intervention
Presenter: Dr Stephanie Merkouris, Lecturer in Psychology, Deakin University, Australia
Description: Despite the large number of people affected by someone else’s gambling and the extent of harm they experience, there are few established psychological interventions specifically designed for family members and friends affected by someone else’s gambling. Moreover, given that only around 20% of people seeking gambling treatment and support services are family members and friends, lower-intensity interventions that are easily accessible are important to facilitate recovery from gambling harm without formal treatment. This Webinar reported on Dr Merkouris’ program of research focusing on the development of a self-directed intervention for people affected by someone else’s gambling behaviour, by drawing on the evidence base for people impacted by someone else’s alcohol and/or substance use.

Date: Wednesday 26th April 2023, 14:00 UK time ((06:00 West Coast USA; 09:00 Eastern USA; 10:00 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 16:00 Helsinki; 18:30 India; other times: www.timeanddate.com/worldclock )
Title: : Promoting Alcohol REduction in Non-Treatment Seeking parents: the PAReNTs study
Presenter: Dr Ruth McGovern, University of Newcastle, England, UK
Description: There is a large amount of high-quality evidence which has accumulated in support of brief alcohol interventions delivered within a healthcare setting with alcohol misusing adult patients. However, there is a paucity of studies examining the effectiveness of alcohol screening and brief interventions within social care settings or specifically its use with parents referred to children’s social care to support and safeguard the child. This Webinar reported on Dr McGovern’s programme of work developing and evaluating brief alcohol interventions which aim to intervene early to prevent impact upon the child and family.

Date: Thursday 16^th February 2023, 14:00 UK time (15:00 am Sweden time)
Title: : CRAFT + Parent Training, delivered on-line: an RCT
Presenters: Dr Anders Hammarberg and Ola Siljeholm, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
Description: This webinar reported on an RCT of an on-line delivered CRAFT+Parent Training as compared with an active control group receiving written psychoeducational material. Results showed that CRAFT+Parent Training did not lead to better outcomes on any of children’s mental health, parental self-efficacy, CSO mental health and co-parent alcohol consumption and level of dependence, although CSOs in both groups reported a significant reduction in co-parent alcohol consumption and severity of alcohol dependence and showed significant improvements in parental self-efficacy for how to handle effects of co-parent alcohol consumption. In a wide-ranging discussion, the implications of these results were discussed, both for future research and for the development of effective interventions.

Date: Tuesday 13^th December 2022, 14:00 UK time (15:00 am Italy time)
Title: Affected Family Members of Disordered Gamblers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy during Lockdown
Presenters: Daniela Capitanucci, Association Azzardo e Nuove Dipendenze [Gambling and New Addictions], Gallarate, Italy
And
Maria Anna Donati, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug, and Child’s Health, University of Florence, Italy
Description: This Webinar presented research which looked at how AFMs of disordered gamblers were affected during lockdown restrictions in Italy - the European country first affected by the virus and with the largest gambling market. Although AFMs reported a general interruption of the relative’s gambling behaviour and a general sense of relief for the closure of gambling activities, accompanied by the perception of good family relationships, AFMs still felt tired, worried, and apprehensive. They also perceived more fear, stress, and anxiety than before the lockdown, especially when thinking about the reopening of gambling opportunities at the end of the lockdown. Implications for clinical practice, policy, prevention and further research were considered.

Date: Tuesday 8^th November 2022, 15:00 UK time (10:00 am Toronto time)
Title: Mothers experiences of caregiving for their adult children with substance use disorder
Presenters: Dr Oona St-Amant, Associate Professor, Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada
Description: This webinar examined mothers’ experiences of caring for adult children with substance use disorder (SUD). Using a critical lens, Oona discussed the problematic historical representations of mothers from the literature that have informed medical discourse today. She also delved into what is known from existing literature about family members’ role in caring for persons with SUD. She then presented the results which emerged from her intensive interviewing with a small number of mothers, caring for their adult children with SUD, before offering some family-centered strategies towards systemic change.

Date: Tuesday 18^th October 2022, 14:00 UK time
Title: Effectiveness of the Strengthening Families Programme in the UK at preventing substance misuse in 10–14 year-olds - pragmatic RCT
Presenters: Dr Jeremy Segrott, Centre for Trials Research, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences Cardiff University, UK
Description: The Strengthening Families Programme 10–14 (SFP10-14) is a USA-developed universal group-based intervention which aims to prevent substance misuse by strengthening protective factors within the family. This webinar presented findings from a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the Strengthening Families Programme 10-14 UK (SFP10-14) which took place in Wales. It provided some background to the programme, before describing the trial design and methods. The remainder of the talk then focused on the main trial results and the key insights from the process evaluation which explored intervention implementation.

UPDATE - The findings from the PuP4Dads feasibility study

On 20th April 2021 Professor Anne Whittaker from the NMAHP Research Unit, University of Stirling, Scotland, UK presented AFINet’s sixth Webinar on “The findings from the PuP4Dads feasibility study”. The overall Parents under Pressure (PuP) programme is a parenting intervention specifically designed for children and families with one or more parents who are dependent on alcohol or drugs. The PuP4Dads component focused on involving fathers who were on opioid substitution therapy. We couldn’t share her PowerPoint slides or the video at the time, because the terms of the research grant under which this work was conducted meant that the results could not be made public until after the final report had been published. This now has, so we are pleased to show the PPT slides and the video below. The Final Report is available here: https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/phr/YOWK7214/#/abstract

Date: Thursday and Friday, 29^th and 30^th September 2022
AFINet’s 2022 virtual online Conference was held on 29th and 30th of September.

As we did with the 2021 AFINet virtual conference, the time slots for one day were oriented towards the East of the world (Australasia, Asia, India, Middle-East, Eastern Europe) and for the other day to the West of the world (Northern, Central and Southern America, Africa and Western Europe).

To see the programme and videos of all of the 2022 conference presentations, GO HERE:
To see the programme and videos of all of the 2021 conference presentations, GO HERE:

Date: Tuesday 13^th September 2022, 14:00 UK time (16:00 Finnish time)
Title: Developing and implementing support services and treatment for affected others of gamblers in Finland
Presenters:Dr Sari Castrén, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare / Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku / Department of Medicine, University of Helsinki Finland
Description: This webinar provided an overview of our research of affected others (AOs) of gamblers in Finland from 2014 up today. First, we looked at the prevalence, harms and various roles of affected others (AOs) from various epidemiological data. Second, we presented the results of a major systematic review of treatment for AOs. Third, we gave an overview of our current project which aims to develop, implement and evaluate evidence-based support services and treatment at all of primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Primary level services refer to awareness raising efforts, secondary level services refer to interventions directed towards at-risk individuals and tertiary services refers to services directed towards AOs who are facing serious consequences of somebody else’s gambling.

Date: Tuesday 16^th August 2022, 12:30 pm UK time (18:30 pm South Sumatra time)
Title: Family resilience in caring for drug addiction in Indonesia
Presenters: Dr Ira Kusumawaty Mental Health Nursing Department, Politeknik Kesehatan Kemenkes Palembang, South Sumatra,Indonesia
Description: This webinar provided a brief overview of the situation related to the problematic use of drugs, in Indonesia, and what provisions there are for Affected Family Members. It then described a detailed qualitative phenomenological research study of mothers, caring for teenage children with drug problems. Key themes that were discussed are: acceptance of God’s destiny, limited financial conditions, lack of time together, the flexibility of a fragile family, and the harsh environment. These themes are examined through the ideas of Family and Community Resilience.

Date: 7^th June 2022, 14.00 pm UK time (15.00 pm Spanish time)
Title: Passive Drinking
Presenters: Dr Toni Gual Emeritus Researcher GRAC (Grup Recerca Addiccions Clínic) IDIBAPS. Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
Description: This webinar addressed the situation of the passive drinker from two complementary perspectives: on one hand, the clinical view, which basically needs to take into account the ‘quasi-patient’ condition of the drinkers’ family, and how this complex relation can be handled to the benefit of both patients and family; on the other hand, the public health perspective, that shows the dimension of ‘harm to others’ in the case of alcohol, which should constitute a strong argument for more public health oriented alcohol policies.

Date: 24th May 2022, 14:00 pm UK time
Title: Parental substance use: dynamics, parenting and associations with child educational outcomes
Presenters: Dr Emily Lowthian, Lecturer in Education, School of Education, Swansea University, Wales, UK
Description: This webinar provided an overview of research concerning parental substance use and children’s educational outcomes. First, Emily dived into understanding what over 50 years of research can tell us about parental substance use and children’s educational outcomes. Next, she considered what substance use patterns and dynamics exist across parents. Lastly, she touched upon how parenting and the family environment could be an explanatory factor between parental substance use dynamics and children’s educational outcomes.

Date: 26th April 2022: 16:00 pm UK time (9:00 am Edmonton time)
Title: Bereaved Mothers’ Use of Media Advocacy in Advancing Drug Policy Reform in Canada
Presenters: Heather Morris, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada and Petra Schulz, Moms Stop the Harm, Pender Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Description: This webinar discussed the advocacy work undertaken by members of Moms Stop the Harm, a network of Canadian families impacted by substance-use-related harms and death. Members advocate for the change of failed drug policies, provide peer support to grieving families and assist those with loved ones who use or have used substances. It also discussed the results of a qualitative research study which explored bereaved mothers’ engagement with the news media to advance drug policy reform in Canada.

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Date: 22^nd March 2022, 16.00 pm UK time (12 noon Quebec time)
Title: A new model of Couples Treatment for Addiction
Presenter: Professor Joël Tremblay, Department of Psychoeducation, Université du Québec à Trois-​Rivières, Québec, Canada
Description: This Webinar examined a new model of couples treatment for addiction. This model includes new aspects in the treatment, related to relationship reparation/ forgiveness and aspects of Emotionally-focused couple therapy. The presentation also described a new (5 year) randomized study on couple treatment of a combination of substance/gambling addiction, including three pilot implementations in European countries (Sweden, Spain and Switzerland).

Date: 22^nd February 2022, 9.00 am UK time (20.00 pm Eastern Australian time) Please note that the time is different to usual
Title: SMART Australia and its Family and Friends programme
Presenter: Dr Peter Kelly, Associate Professor and Deputy Head of School (Research), School of Psychology / Director, Centre for Health Psychology Practice and Research (CHPPR), University of Wollongong, Australia AND Dan Raffell National Program Manager, SMART Recovery, Australia
Description: This Webinar looked at the SMART Australia Family and Friends programme, and described the programme of research and evaluation that is being undertaken in Australia of that programme.

Date: 25^th January 2022, 10:00 am UK time (18:00 pm Malaysian time)
Title: Addiction and the Family in Malaysia
Presenter: Dr Dini Farhana Baharudin, Faculty of Leadership and Management, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai, Malaysia
Description:This Webinar looked at the interface between how families are caught up in addiction problems and how that plays out in both a Malaysian and a Muslim culture; and also looked at how policy is framed in Malaysia related to all of addiction, families, and Affected Family Members.

Date: 14^th December 2021, 2pm UK time
Title: Ask the Family! Family Perspectives on Whole Family Support and Family Inclusive Practice in Scotland
Presenter: Justina Murray - Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol & Drugs 
Description: In early 2021, Scottish Families was commissioned by the Scottish Government to lead a family engagement project in partnership with Action for Children, All in the Family and Circle. The aim of this project was to test out a new set of national Principles around whole family support and family inclusive practice. This family engagement project aimed to reach children, young people and adults affected by alcohol and drugs and receiving family support. This included family members receiving support due to other’s substance use, and those supported due to their own current or previous substance use. We wanted to test out how far the Principles as drafted were supported by families (i.e. top down), and how far families’ own descriptions of family support aligned with the draft Principles (i.e. bottom up). We encouraged our partners to use creative and family-friendly engagement activities to ask these questions, and to present the findings. This webinar will share our findings, including the results of our national survey of family members, and the contents of a virtual exhibition which displays the creative output from the family engagement activities.

Date: 23rd November 2021, 2pm UK time (3pm Dutch time)
Presenter: Dorine van Namen
Title: AFINet webinar AFMs and study success 2019
Dscription: This Webinar described an ongoing research project examining how a relative’s addiction (to alcohol, drugs, sleeping pills, opioid painkillers and gambling) affect the quality of life and level of ‘study success’ of young adult Affected Family Members (AFMs). These AFMs are all students at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. In 2019 all students at this University received an anonymous survey about their own alcohol and drug use, and included in the survey were questions about having a relative with addiction. A total of 5,662 students completed the survey; 881 of them were AFMs (15.6%). Compared with students without family members with an addiction, these AFM students had more frequent study delay, reported poorer physical and mental health, were more frequent smokers, and used more stimulant medication and illegal drugs. 30 of these AFM-students disclosed their e-mail address because they wished to collaborate in longitudinal qualitative research. This Webinar looks at what they tell us about the effects on study success of living with the addiction problems of one or more family members.

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Interacting with the Treatment System: perspectives from Family Members and Treatment Providers

Presenter: Alicia S. Ventura, MPH - Director of Special Projects and Research, Grayken Center for Addiction, Boston Medical Center, Boston, USA
Description: This Webinar will describe and outline the results from a recently completed qualitative study, which looked at family members impacted by addiction and investigated their experiences interacting with treatment systems for both them and their loved ones. The study also included a provider component which explored barriers to including the family in care, from the perspective of the addiction care team. Both provider and family member perspectives will be examined and conclusions drawn over how to make treatment more ‘family-inclusive’.

BECAUSE OF THE TERMS OF THE RESEARCH GRANT UNDER WHICH THIS WORK WAS CONDUCTED, THE RESULTS CANNOT BE MADE PUBLIC UNTIL AFTER THE FINAL REPORT HAS BEEN PUBLISHED. Accordingly, the Video Recording of this Webinar and the PPT slides from the presentation will only be available on the AFINet website after that time.

Reaching Family Members in Large Numbers – Using the internet as a tool to enhance conversations with family members

On 22nd June 2021 Ed Sipler, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Head of Psychology, Turning Point, UK presented AFINet’s seventh Webinar on “Introducing and embedding the 5-Step Method across a national non-statutory health and social care organisation in England: the journey of Turning Point”. [To view this Webinar and the PowerPoint Slides, see below.] This Webinar explored the findings from AFINet’s Project 1 – Reaching Family Members in Large Numbers. One of the outcomes of this project was the publication of The Pocket Guide for Family Members and the development of a You Tube clip with key messages from the booklet. The Webinar explored the development of these tools and their use in enhancing conversations with family members.

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Introducing and embedding the 5-Step Method across a national non-statutory health and social care organisation in England: the journey of Turning Point

On 18th May 2021 Jan Larkin, Health Development Specialist, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Northern Ireland, UK presented AFINet’s eight Webinar on “Introducing and embedding the 5-Step Method across a national non-statutory health and social care organisation in England: the journey of Turning Point”. [To view this Webinar and the PowerPoint Slides, see below.] Jan Larkin described how Turning Point, one of the largest providers of addiction and mental health care across England, decided to utilise the 5-Step Method across their services, and how they have implemented and developed the Method over the past decade. This Webinar was of especial interest for any organisations or countries which are considering implementing the 5-Step Method.

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The findings from the PuP4Dads feasibility study

On 20th April 2021 Professor Anne Whittaker from the NMAHP Research Unit, University of Stirling, Scotland, UK presented AFINet’s sixth Webinar on “The findings from the PuP4Dads feasibility study”. Professor Whittaker reported on the results of this feasibility study. The overall Parents under Pressure (PuP) programme is a parenting intervention specifically designed for children and families with one or more parents who are dependent on alcohol or drugs. The PuP4Dads component focused on involving fathers who were on opioid substitution therapy. [BECAUSE OF THE TERMS OF THE RESEARCH GRANT UNDER WHICH THIS WORK WAS CONDUCTED, THE RESULTS CANNOT BE MADE PUBLIC UNTIL AFTER THE FINAL REPORT HAS BEEN PUBLISHED. Accordingly, the Video Recording of this Webinar and the PPT slides from the presentation will only be available on the AFINet website after that time.

See update above in October 2022

Seeing the Bigger Picture: Some Ways Ahead for AFINet

On 23rd March 2021 Professor Jim Orford, Emeritus Professor of Clinical and Community Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK presented AFINet’s fifth Webinar on “Seeing the Bigger Picture: Some Ways Ahead for AFINet”. [To view this Webinar and the PowerPoint Slides, see below.] Professor Orford suggested that we needed to move away from simply researching, and offering help, to family members, and address key questions about how to reach more affected others, and earlier in their experience; and How to help family members campaign for policy change.

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Teleintervenção fundamentada na entrevista motivacional para familías que convivem com um parente com problemas por consumo de álcool e outras Drogas [Motivational intervention for family members living with a relative with a substance-related disorder]

Cassandra Borges Bortolon, a Clinical Psychologist, Postgraduate Professor in Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Director of Acurarte, President of AMTEPA, Founder of the Acurartech Company, and an Independent Research Consultant, presented AFINet’s fourth Webinar on “Motivational intervention for family members living with a relative with a substance-related disorder”, which she presented in Portuguese with a simultaneous English translation. [To view this Webinar and the PowerPoint Slides, see below.] Dr Bortolon described the results of a project investigating the extent to which a motivational intervention for AFMs worked, and then discussed issues related to both research and clinical practice, as well as coordinating a helpful discussion on the term ‘co-dependency’.

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View powerpoint slides (Portugese)

‘Fragile Childhood’: Help for the children of problem drinkers in Finland

Minna Ilva, the Project Manager for the Fragile Childhood programme in Finland, presented AFINet’s third Webinar on “‘Fragile Childhood’: Help for the children of problem drinkers in Finland”. [To view this Webinar and the PowerPoint Slides, see below.] The Fragile Childhood programme has been running in Finland since 1986. It offers help to young and adults who suffer from the adverse effects of parental alcohol use. Ms Ilva described the history and the funding of this programme and then went on to outline its’ current projects. She ended by discussing the needs to improve research and evaluation in this area. The discussion raised many areas where organisations in other countries could learn, and possibly replicate in their own countries.

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Evidence and Implementation of family-based interventions in the addiction field

Dr Gallus Bischof presented AFINet’s second Webinar on “Evidence and Implementation of family-based interventions in the addiction field”. [To view this Webinar and the PowerPoint Slides, see below.] Dr Bischof described and reported the results of a systematic review on the evidence of interventions for AFMs and reported the results of a survey of practitioners in Germany. The implications for further research and service improvement were discussed.

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In Their Own Right: Family Members Affected by Alcohol and other Drug Misuse or Gambling

AFINet’s first Webinar was given by Professor Richard Velleman on 20th October 2020. The topic of this Webinar was “In Their Own Right: Family Members Affected by Alcohol and other Drug Misuse or Gambling”. [To view this Webinar, see below.] Professor Velleman examined the evidence-base showing that family members of people with alcohol or other drug or gambling problem are often badly affected by their relative’s problems. He then showed how this evidence led to the creation of the ‘Stress-Strain-Coping-Support’ [SSCS] Model - a useful model for understanding the impact that other people’s addiction problems have on Affected Family Members. Following this he outlined the ‘5-Step Method’, one evidence-based method to help these Affected Family Members which emerged from the SSCS Model, and described the effects that this intervention is having on both Affected Family Members and on practitioners who deliver the intervention, before going on to describe how it is being implemented in various countries world-wide.

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