Parents and Children’s Program
The Parents and Children’s Program is a prevention and intervention program for children aged 6–13 years who have been impacted by substance use or untreated mental health conditions within their family system.
About The Program
At South Pacific Private we believe in treating the family system, not just the person who presents for treatment. Trauma, substance use, and mental health conditions can significantly affect the family unit – whether the condition is inherited or whether it is happening right now. These patterns can run in families.
The Parents and Children’s Program can help families to reconnect and begin moving toward health, happiness, and awareness – helping to break the cycle and legacy of substance use and mental health conditions across generations.
The program assists children in the recovery process in an age-appropriate, systematic, and comprehensive manner. Through understanding substance use and mental health conditions in an age-appropriate way, children come to see that they are not at fault and are not alone. The program helps children to identify and express their feelings and to talk openly about what living with these family challenges has been like. As they break their silence, children learn new skills to express their feelings in healthy and safe ways.
Simultaneously, parental figures engage in a Parents Program, where we educate them on how to become more aware and how to provide the attention, time, and space that supports children in sharing their feelings and expressing themselves from a young age. When children suppress and repress their feelings as a normalised pattern of behaviour, they are at higher risk of developing substance use issues and mental health conditions in the future.
At South Pacific Private We Will Be With You Every Step Of The Way
This photograph is for demonstration purposes only.
Program Content
The program, through a number of carefully designed games and activities, will support children with undeveloped social and verbal skills to express themselves, to learn self-care concepts and to work together as a team. The goal is to sow the seeds of health and wellness and empower the children. Children have the opportunity to:
- Explore and express feelings in a safe and supportive environment
- Understand substance use and co-dependency in an age-appropriate way
- Learn a variety of problem solving, coping and self-care strategies
- Build self-esteem, self-worth, and positive feelings about themselves
- Trust themselves and others
- Realise they are not alone
- Simply be kids by learning to have fun in safe and healthy ways
- Learn that It’s Not Your Fault, You’re Not Alone and It’s Okay to Ask for Help
Above all else, the program allows children to be kids, to laugh, play, be curious and explore.
Who Is It For?
Parental figure(s) must be in active recovery and sober / clean and continue to abstain from all substances and behaviours throughout the program. One or two parents / carers may participate in this program.
Cost
This is a self-funded program and costs $250 per person.
Program Delivery
The Parents and Children’s Program runs over two days (Saturday and Sunday).
For more information, please contact our Day Program Coordinator on 02 9905 3667.
How To Get Started
Clients completing their inpatient treatment at South Pacific Private will be referred into the Parents and Children’s Program.
For ex-clients who have completed the inpatient program at South Pacific Private within three months, an assessment and psychiatric review, if required, will be arranged prior to the commencement of the program.
