About the Family Recovery College

The Family Recovery College offers a free informal 9 week course, Understanding Substance Use and Holding on to Hope, for anyone living in Scotland who are concerned about someone else’s alcohol or drug use.
It will be delivered with 6 online and 3 in-person sessions.
We will support you to build knowledge, skills, and confidence to support yourself and your loved one.
 
The course will take place online every Wednesday 7-9pm, starting with an in person event on Saturday the 30th of April and finishing on Saturday the 25th of June 2022.  

Students on the course will:
  • Increase their positive connection with others
  • Develop communication strategies to improve relationships
  • Improve self-care and emotional wellbeing
  • Improve understanding of substance use through new knowledge and skills
Feel empowered to influence change in their lives and the lives of their loved one.

We developed this course in spring 2019 with a group of family members who have their own lived experience of supporting a loved one with problematic drug/alcohol use. Our course advisors worked with us to design, deliver and evaluate the project to ensure that it was helpful and relevant to participants needs. The course ran for the first time in the summer of 2019 and has been adapted to respond to the evaluation we received from participants and course advisors.   
 
Eligibility:

Anyone who is affected by another person’s drug or alcohol use is warmly welcomed – that includes biological and non-biological families, BAME families, LGBT+ people and families, families with or without children, friends, partners, siblings, young people, older people, foster carers, kinship carers, neighbours, work colleagues, etc.


Whilst this course is set in Renfrewshire, If you are able to travel for most of  the 3 face to face meetings you are welcome regardless of where you live. 

We hope to make the Family Recovery College accessible to all. Please do not hesitate to contact us if there is anything additional we can do to make you feel welcomed and included.

Why the Family Recovery College is important:
Families and concerned significant others often take on the primary role of caring for or supporting their loved one. Due to the secrecy, shame and stigma of supporting a loved one with problematic drug and alcohol use often there is little acknowledgement or support for those doing the supporting. Many people find themselves experiencing long-term mental health and physical health conditions, often related to the challenges and stress of their caring role. We hope that the Family Recovery College will enable students to feel empowered to support both themselves and their loved one.

Please note: If you have any concerns or difficulties completing this form please phone us to complete an expression of interest over the phone - Debra  07379830357 or Tich 07775252380. 

The programme is certificated by Scottish Families as the Scottish Government’s Nationally Commissioned Organisation (NCO) for families affected by alcohol or drug use. 

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* 1. About You

We will not share your information with any other organisations.  Further information below in our Data Protection Statement in Question 17.

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* 2. Preferred method of contact (please tick all that apply):

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* 3. How did you hear about the Family Recovery College?

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* 4. Tell us a bit about yourself and why you are interested in attending the Family Recovery College

For Questions 5 to 10 please just fill in what you know:

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* 5. What is your relationship to the person you care about who is using substances?

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* 6. Do they live with you?

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* 7. Describe their substance use (if known)

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* 8. Are they currently engaged in support?

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* 9. If Yes; what type of support are they receiving?

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* 10. Can you describe the impact that your loved one’s drug and alcohol use has had on you? (Eg: emotional distress, relationship difficulties, financial strain, etc.) 

Please share as much as you feel comfortable with – it’s okay to be brief.  

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* 11. What supports are you currently engaged in – professional or otherwise? (Eg: counsellor, good friends, family supports, community group, family support group, etc).

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* 12. What are your hopes for the future?

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* 13. The course will cover the most up-to-date information and knowledge on drug and alcohol use. We will hear from family and friends who have life experience of someone whom they love using substances. We will run a series of sessions on positive communication based on the CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) principles.  We will spend time thinking about our own self-care and well-being. We will discuss stigma and think about what it means for us, our loved ones and our community. 

Are there any other topics you would like to explore as part of this course?

We plan to set up a private (FRC students and course facilitators only) Facebook group to share resources, keep the conversation going and create a space for reflections.

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* 14. Would you be happy to participate in a closed Facebook group as part of the course?

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* 15. Is there anything we have missed that you would like to tell us?

We are committed to making this opportunity accessible to all.

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* 16. Are there any reasonable adjustments we might need to make for you? Is there anything you need from us?

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* 17. GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATIONS (DATA PROTECTION ACT 2018)

Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs will use the information provided in this application pack for the purpose of processing your application and monitoring our process. The information you provide will be stored securely and will not be retained longer than necessary.  Under the Act you have a right to access the information Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs holds on you. If you would like to do this, please apply in writing.

Equality and Diversity Monitoring Questions

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* 18. We are committed to working towards being an inclusive service that welcomes people from all cultural backgrounds, genders, ages, sexual orientations, abilities and religions. The following questions help us to evaluate who our activities reach so that we can work towards improving our reach and inclusivity into the future. Please note that the below questions are optional and all information disclosed is anonymous and confidential.

What was your age at last birthday? Please leave blank if you prefer not to say.

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* 19. Which of the following options best describes your gender?

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* 20. Do you consider yourself to be a Trans person?

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* 21. Which of the following options best describes your sexual orientation?

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* 22. Which option below best describes your ethnic group?

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* 23. What is your religion?

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* 24. Do you have a physical or mental health condition or disability that impacts your day to day life?

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* 25. If yes, does your condition or illness reduce your ability to carry out day-to-day activities?

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* 26. Does this condition or illness affect you in any of the following areas? (Please X ALL that apply.)

Thank you for your time in completing this form.  Susie or Ash (course facilitators) will be in touch soon to discuss your expression of interest.  If you have any questions before this then please get in touch with us - Debra@sfad.org.uk OR Richard@sfad.org.uk

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