Free Program in Spanish for Families Affected by Addiction
SOURCE Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
Hazelden Betty Ford for Families program, in virtual format, expands its reach
CENTER CITY, Minnesota, September 19, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Faced with the growing need for addiction care and mental health due to pandemic and social conflict across the country, the nonprofit Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation has launched a Spanish-language version of its education and support program for families,which can be accessed from anywhere and at no cost.
The new One-Day, Spanish-language Family Program will ensure that Spanish-speaking families take advantage of valuable tools that have helped thousands of families in their recovery processes. The program is open to anyone, participants do not need to have a family member in treatment.
Based on the intimate relationship between language and culture, the program will be similar to the English version, with some modifications in language and content. For example, what might be perceived as culturally offensive language is omitted and a greater emphasis on addiction as disease is implemented.
“Addiction is something we don’t talk about much in our culture,” said Cynthia Galaviz-Olivas, PsyD, bilingual co-director of Betty Ford Center’s new children’s program and supervisor in Rancho Mirage, California. “It’s crucial to provide them with the language they need to really open the doors to communication, so their loved one still doesn’t recognize that he or she has a problem.”
The virtual program is offered as part of Hazelden Betty Ford’s RecoveryGo behavioral health service, which is based on the nonprofit’s world-class face-to-face family program on addiction treatments. In this context, it is recognized that when a family member suffers from a substance use-related disorder, they are all affected. It is imperative to create a sense of community in the family program so that participants can trust the process and the people involved.
“We hope to have a lot of interaction and dialogue,” said Galaviz-Olivas, who added that he sometimes tells the story of his own family with addiction to help forge that important sense of trust. “It’s about encouraging them to find their own voice and share with each other, and let them know that we’re all in this together.”
“We created our Virtual Family Program in English because we wanted to reach out to more parents, couples, siblings, and other loved ones who get caught up in the complex and confusing pain caused by family addictions. We wanted to offer it for free to cultivate a sense of healing and hope for all, regardless of socioeconomic status,” said John Driscoll, Senior Vice President of Recovery Services at Hazelden Betty Ford. “By expanding the program inclusively for Spanish speakers, we will be reaching many more people affected by addictions across the country.”
Anyone wishing to participate in the Virtual Family Program can sign up for hazeldenbettyford.org/familia.
About the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is an engine of healing and hope for individuals, families, and communities affected by alcohol and other drug addiction. Learn more at www.HazeldenBettyFord.org and on Twitter @hazldnbettyford.
