Seventeen Ways to Get Parents Involved in Substance Abuse Education

Abstract

Parents are encouraged to take a larger role in the prevention of chemical dependency in their children. Parent participation in support groups has been described as the new frontier and was encouraged in the recent national program entitled “Chemical People.” Those who are involved in education and group work need to be aware that there are four types of parents who may use resistance and denial before becoming involved in parent support groups. These parents are described as the “apathetic,” “burned-out,” “intimidated,” and the “resigned.” Seventeen strategies to involve these parents are offered for group leaders, trainers, and educators who work with parents and chemical dependency.