Host: Welcome to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of Western New York Independent Living (WNYIL). My guests today are Jessica Seiler and Tracy Poe, who are both Family 2 Family support specialists with Family 2 Family, which is connected with Addict 2 Addict and Mental Health PEER Connection (MHPC) at WNYIL. I'm your host Ernie Churchwell. Welcome to the program associates. 

Guests 1 and 2: Hi Ernie, thanks for having us. 

Host: I didn't want to say ladies, because I wasn't sure if that was politically correct in this day and time. But in any case, you're here because you're announcing an exciting series of outreaches to family members of recovering addicts, namely the Family 2 Family monthly family forums. First, why did you see a need for an effort of this sort? 

Guest 1: So, I am a family support specialist, but I myself also am in recovery from addiction and I remember when I was in my youth, my family was the most important thing to help me get into recovery, right. The support aspect, I always tell people nowadays, wherever your addiction affected, is where your recovery has to affect too. So, if your addiction affected your relationship with your family, your recovery should focus on that part too. 

And we've noticed especially since COVID, the families aren't really involved in the recovery part anymore. Obviously, that was necessary during COVID, but now that COVID is kind of over and wrapping up, we're really trying to reintegrate families back into any type of recovery that goes from recovery in the community, with like outpatients to families being in like drug courts and stuff like that. To families being invited back into inpatient rehabs, too. 

Guest 2: And I think I think also we know that people struggling with an addiction and the family members, the family members, it can be a frustrating, painful, and sometimes lonely journey, and it's often easy to lose your bearings. 

And when that happens, where's the support? We need support. I also too, as someone who is in recovery, like Jess but I also grew up with somebody who was an alcoholic and had we had resources such as this, where families who come together. It might have made my youth and my teenage years much easier had family been involved. 

Host: Is there any charge to participate in these meetings and do people need to pre-register? 

Guest 1: No, completely free. You don't have to pre-register. You know, our fires are all over the place. Just show up. You're welcome, no matter what your situation is. 

Host: And if you could mention the location of these meetings in at least a few of the scheduled upcoming ones in terms of date and time. 

Guest 1: Yes, so the next forum is December 15th, that's a Friday. It's going to be at 2:00 p.m. So, this forum is going to happen at the Hope Center which is in Williamsville. It is a pretty well-known recovery center out there and the address is 781 Maple Rd., so it's kind of near Maple and North Forest. 

Host: Would you believe we're running low on time? I know you have the next six meetings pre-scheduled, but I guess we'll have to leave it up to people to call in for that information and how should they contact you? 

Guest 2: They can call Addict 2 Addict of Niagara County at 716-398-4333. 

Guest 1: And they can call it Erie County. Our Addict 2 Addict and Family 2 Family hotline is 716-836-2726. 

Host: Thanks so much for being with us. 

Guests: Thank you. 

Host: You've been listening to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of WNYIL. Our guests were Jessica Seiler and Tracy Poe, both Family 2 Family support specialists with MHPC. And I've been your host, Ernie Churchwell.