Free session offers help to families of at-risk teens and those affected by substance use disorder

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SIMSBURY, CT – Every day, more and more families in Connecticut are affected by substance use disorders or realize they have a teen at risk of developing a substance use disorder (SUD). On Wednesday, March 3, 2021, a local organization, A Promise to Jordan, will present a session to introduce families to CRAFT: Community Reinforcement and Family Training. The session will be held virtually via Zoom at 6:00 P. M. The two-hour session is geared to families who have a loved one with substance use disorder or an at-risk teen, as well as for professionals in the addiction treatment field who are working informally with families and want to learn techniques for motivating substance users to seek treatment.

The goals of CRAFT are to discourage and reduce the use of substances, get people into treatment, improve their overall well-being, and help caregivers experience less stress, depression and anger. CRAFT has been proven to work with at-risk adolescents, all substance use disorders, and with individuals across diverse cultures.

The program will be led by Dr. Dominique Simon-Levine and Laurie MacDougall. Dr. Simon-Levine is Founder and CEO of Allies in Recovery (AiR), an online learning platform for families of those struggling with Substance Use Disorder. Dr. Simon-Levine is a facilitator and trained speaker on issues of substance use. Her work has been featured on HBO and NPR. She has worked extensively in the development and evaluation of federally-funded substance use programs for organizations and clinics throughout Massachusetts and New York.

Laurie MacDougall is the Founder of Resources Education Support Together (REST), a peer-led mutual aid group for families with a loved one with SUD. REST utilizes the AiR website’s CRAFT-based curriculum to empower families by cultivating new skills and strategies through education and training.

Individuals may register by going to the A Promise to Jordan website, APromisetoJordan.org, or by emailing info@apromisetojordan.org.

A Promise to Jordan is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit named for a young Simsbury man, Jordan Arakelian, and was founded by his mother, Lisa Gray, in the wake of his death from an opioid overdose on June 30, 2018. The mission of A Promise to Jordan is to raise awareness and eliminate the stigma of addiction, assist people in accessing quality care, and give hope that recovery is possible to those struggling with addiction.

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