In our current treatment system, family members often feel faulted and blamed for their loved ones’ co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Families are described as “enablers” or “co-dependents” instead of being recognized as anchors that support the individual through emotional, physical and spiritual chaos. This session is designed to raise consciousness around the families’ experiences in the treatment and recovery process. It will cover how the treatment process can hinder or shame families from even entering into recovery as well as recovery milestones that families experience over time. It will be a combination of didactic presentation and a panel discussion with two mothers whose family members are in recovery with co-occurring disorders.

• Acknowledge 3 components of the family’s recovery process.
• Identify the difference between anchoring and enabling as it pertains to family members experiencing co-occurring disorders.
• Recognize 3 or more practices that treatment models use currently that keep families uninvolved.