One of the most challenging issues of a recovery journey is the need to repair the parent-child relationship that was impacted during active substance use. This workshop will explore the parenting issues often present in early recovery. Many recovering parents do not have the life experience of positive parenting to use as a model. They often parent from their own experience of growing up in an unhealthy environment. In addition, parenting in early recovery often involves kinship caregivers who were the primary safe place for a child(ren). A review of available parenting programs addressing resources and strategies for moving forward will be generated through presentation and interactive experiences by the participants.
Nancy J. Phillips, M.S. – PSY, CAADC, CFPP, currently serves as the coordinator for the Illinois Family Resource Center, a statewide project. She has been active in the substance abuse field for over forty years in both prevention and treatment services. Phillips holds an Educational Psychology Master’s Degree from Eastern Illinois University. Phillips was honored as Professional of the Year in 2018 by the Illinois Certification Board, Inc. During her years in the SUD field, she has developed and trained human service providers throughout the states.