Audio file transcript
00:00:00 Speaker 1
Welcome to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of Western New York Independent Living (WNYIL). Our guest today is Tracy Poe, Family 2 Family support specialist at Independent Living of Niagara County (ILNC). And I'm your host, Ernie Churchwell. Welcome to the program, Tracy.
00:00:16 Speaker 2
Thank you, Ernie. I'm so happy to be here.
00:00:19 Speaker 1
And we're pleased to have you. You have both, two kinds of activities, one for families and one for support. But just to give people a little background, Family 2 Family grew out of the Addict 2 Addict support groups when it was realized that recovering addicts could use the support of family members in their journey to recovery.
00:00:48 Speaker 1
And so Family 2 Family came about. And you have some particular activities focused on this populace. First, can you tell us about the Niagara Falls Family Forums?
00:01:02 Speaker 2
I can, yes, our Family Forums are brand new. They're going to be on the first Tuesday of each month.
The first meeting will be on Tuesday, May 7th, and that'll be at 3:00 p.m. And that will be at our Niagara Falls office, ILNC in the Haeberle Plaza, 746 Portage Rd.
00:01:25 Speaker 1
Very good. And what sort of things will be addressed in these gatherings?
00:01:30 Speaker 2
OK. So, it's really a safe space to meet with others who have similar concerns and it's run by people like you for you. So, what that means is I am a person in recovery, and I will be hosting the meetings and while the families may not be in recovery themselves, although some may be, it's open to anyone. I am a person who is in recovery.
So, when one person is struggling with addiction, very often the entire family is affected, so the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and financial impact really can be devastating.
00:02:18 Speaker 2
And the Family Forum is aimed to bring people together to come up with solutions and really learn how to take care of themselves while also supporting their loved one in recovery.
00:02:37 Speaker 1
Alright. And a couple of quick questions. You mentioned financial, is there a charge to attend and do people need to pre-register?
00:02:44 Speaker 2
They do not need to pre-register, and there is absolutely no cost to attend.
00:02:49 Speaker 1
Alright, but this is just one front that you're helping people with. What about the SMART Recovery support groups?
00:02:56 Speaker 2
So, the SMART Recovery which stands for Self Management And Recovery Training, is specifically for family and friends. It is an alternative to other 12 step groups such as Nar-Anon, Al-Anon. But this one is based on the CRAFT Program, Community Reinforcement And Family Training. CRAFT is an evidence-based program designed to teach family and friends new ways of interacting with a person who has an addiction, with a goal of increasing the chances that the person will seek recovery.
00:03:32 Speaker 2
And obviously the program recognizes that being in a close relationship with someone struggling with an addiction can be frustrating, painful and sometimes a lonely journey in which it is easy to lose one's bearings.
00:03:48 Speaker 1
Alright, is SMART Recovery on a regular schedule of meetings?
00:03:55 Speaker 2
It is on a regular schedule. It is also at the Portage Rd. location of ILNC and it is on Wednesdays from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. every Wednesday and it's also posted on smartrecovery.org.
00:04:10 Speaker 1
Alright, I presume it's also no charge, but do people need to pre-register since this is a smaller group?
00:04:17 Speaker 2
No, they do not need to pre-register.
00:04:22 Speaker 1
Alright. And if you could tell people how they could reach you to get more information.
00:04:27 Speaker 2
Yes. Again, my phone number is 716-284-4131 and I am at extension 232.
00:04:37 Speaker 1
Thanks so much for being with us.
00:04:39 Speaker 2
Thank you.
00:04:40 Speaker 1
You've been listening to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of WNYIL. Our guest today was Tracy Poe, Family 2 Family support specialist at ILNC. And I've been your host, Ernie Churchwell.