1. Overcoming the harms caused by
alcohol, drugs and gambling
‘Families First’ conference workshop:
The impact of
alcohol on family
member s

2. Overcoming the harms caused by
alcohol, drugs and gambling
Richard McVey
Service Manager (Family Services)

3. Aquarius Family
Ser vices
 Birmingham
 Derby
 Coventry
 Sandwell
 Dudley / Wolverhampton/ Solihull

4. Aquarius Support for Family
Members
Home visits/Outreach
Relatives Groups
Activity days/promo events
Care Planned support
‘Special pampering
day
thanks carer s w ho
live
with af fects of
addiction’
(Article in Sutton Coldfield Observer)

5. Involving Family Members Across Organisations
IFMO Research Project
3 year family work development plan:
 Training for all teams
 Follow up consultancy and support
 Evidence based methods:
5 Step and SBNT
 Organisational changes to support family
work
 Research element

6. IFMO Research r esults
 Staff attitudes towards family focussed practice:
 Significant increase in staff scores on AAFPQ
questionnaire (Attitudes to Addiction Related
Family Problems Questionnaire) from baseline
to post intervention
 Overall proportion of family focussed practice:
 Baseline = 19%
 Post intervention = 34%

7. Impact on Family Members 1
 Substance user unpleasant to live with
 Worry over substance users health
 Financial Problems
 Substance user disappears or comes &
goes
 Other members of community become
involved

8. Impact on Family Members 2
 Effect on Roles / Routines / Rituals
 Social Isolation
 Incidents / Crises
 Relationship Difficulties
 Arguments / Conflict
 Violence / Abuse

9. Impact on Family Members 3
Are there any differences in the
impacts and experiences of family
members of alcohol users?

10. 5 Step Method
1. Listen, reassure, explore concerns
2. Provide relevant information
3. Explore coping
4. Explore social support
5. Referring on for additional help

11. Step 3- Ways of coping
 Engaged- Standing up to it
• Trying to control my relatives behaviour
• Being emotional
• Being assertive
• Being supportive
 Tolerant- Putting up with it
• Not doing anything
• Putting my relatives needs before my own
 Withdrawal – Withdrawing from it
• Avoiding my relative
• Being independant

12. Step 3- Ways of coping
DVD presentation

13. Step 3- Ways of coping
Feedback discussion:
What is most important about Step 3?
How could you see this being useful in
supporting family members

14. Step 4- Support
 Drawing the social network diagram
 Who or what can be supportive and in
what way
 Can include personal and professional
 Improving positive support
 Decreasing negative support
 Being an active agent of change in using
the network

15. Step 4- Support
DVD presentation

16. Step 4- Support
Feedback discussion:
What is most important about Step 4?
How could you see this being useful in
supporting family members

17. Step 3- Ways of coping
Exercise in small groups:
What are the pro’s and con’s
of each coping style

18. Contact
Aquarius
Head Office
2nd Floor
16 Kent Street
Birmingham
B5 6RD
Tel: 0121 622 8181
Email: headoffice@aquarius.org.uk

19. Overcoming the harms caused by
alcohol, drugs and gambling
Thank You