Lessons from the Front Lines of the Opioid Crisis: From Trauma to Transformation

Presentation Description

The opioid crisis is devastating communities all across the United States.  Many of us in the bereavement field have witnessed the impact that the crisis has on the children, teens and young adults that we serve.  This presentation will begin with an overview of the impact of the opioid crisis on youth and the family structure.  Next, the presentation will focus on the “4F” Trauma Personality Types and well as the rules and roles in addicted families.  Finally, the presentation will focus on specific ways to support youth, their families, as well as the program volunteers and staff who work with youth.  “Take-aways” and resources will be provided as part of the informative presentation.  Discussion and questions are strongly encouraged.

About the Presenters

Brian Maus, MA, LMFT is the Director of Addiction Prevention & Mentoring Programs at Eluna and is responsible for overseeing the national Camp Mariposa program. Camp Mariposa is an award-winning, evidence-informed addiction prevention and mentoring program for youth who have been affected by the substance use disorder of a close family member. Camp Mariposa is offered in 13 urban and rural locations across the United States.  Mr. Maus is a Licensed Couple and Family Therapist with 30 years of experience working with children, teens, and families from diverse backgrounds. He holds a Master of Arts degree from LaSalle University.  Mr. Maus has written articles featured in national magazines and presented nationally at conferences such as the Child Welfare League of America, the National Mentoring Summit, and the National Symposium on Juvenile Services.

Jennifer Wiles, MA, LMHC, BC-DMT is the Director of Children’s Services for CareGroup Parmenter Hospice in Wayland, MA. She is the director of Camp Erin Boston and HEARTplay^sm, an award-winning bereavement program for children, teens and young adults in the greater Boston area. She is an active member of NAGC, where she serves on the Education and Symposium Committees.  She has presented her work at the National Symposium on Children’s Grief, the American Dance Therapy Association’s national and regional conferences, and at Lesley University.  She has published articles on the Eluna website and the American Journal of Dance Therapy and has taught bereavement work internationally at the Apollo Institute, Beijing, China. Jennifer is a board-certified dance movement therapist/licensed mental health counselor and is on the adjunct faculty of Lesley University’s Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences where she also serves as a clinical site supervisor.

Objectives

At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Recognize the impact that the current opioid crisis is having on the mental health and well-being of children affected by family addiction and a death due to substance use.
• Apply Pete Walker’s 4F Trauma Personality Types model to youth participants and use the model to design trauma-informed approaches to their programs.
• Identify Claudia Black’s rules and roles in addicted families and create alternative rules and roles based on a transformational approach to bereavement work.
• Share specific strategies to support youth and families in their local communities.