National Association For Children Of Alcoholics

Programs: Nacoas programs include developing and updating publications and kits that educate and encourage at risk children and families to find hope and healing from their exposure to substance use disorders in the family. A substantial part of nacoas work is the development of tools and training programs for professionals- educators, clergy, primary care providers, treatment and recovery support personnel. In 2017, nacoa 1) provided in-person, on site one day trainings for clergy and other faith leaders in three states reaching 275, and training to 900+ faith leaders and their staffs via three 2-hour webinars and seven 90-minute webinars, 2) hosted celebrating families trainings to over 190 group facilitators in 2-day on-site workshops in 13 sites in ten states, and three train-the-trainers sessions held in three states, 3) provided a one-week intensive training for two representatives from sweden on using nacoas childrens program kit, which they had translated into swedish, they returned to sweden and then trained teams across their country who can then implement education support group services in their agencies and communities, 4) continued the development and testing of the 0-3 years additions to its five-volume celebrating families i curriculum, 5) distributed curriculum materials to over 40 sites, 6) finalized and tested the complementary on-line version of the seminary curriculum addiction and families, created the previous year, 7) provided 400+ comprehensive faith leader course training manual and handbooks free of charge, 8) began the development of a new, expanded educational website and online professional training center, 9) supported the sober st patricks day expanded education program, 10) responded to hundreds of calls from children of alcoholics and people trying to help them, 11) sponsored the annual international campaign for coa awareness week in february, 12) provided the voice for children and families in the addiction leadership group and in the whole health coalition, the two collaborating groups of national leaders in the areas related to substance use prevention and treatment and mental health disorders, 13) continued to chair the strategic planning and sustainability committee of recovery month, the major national annual information campaign in september focusing on addiction recovery and impacted families-reaching millions nacoa distributed recovery month information materials and strategies to 45 affiliates and hundreds of faith leaders, 14) began the development of a major content rich website to serve professionals who work with children and impacted children and families.

grants and contracts during 2017, nacoa operated two contracts from the substance abuse and mental health services administration to continue a series of webinar-based non-denominational educational programs for faith communities-understanding addiction and supporting recovery-with two webinars funded by a 2014-15 contract and a subsequent contract received in late 2015 upon completion of the previous two in-person trainings were also conducted per the new contract nacoa received a grant from the united methodist churchs special program on substance abuse and related violence (spsarv) department this grant allowed agencies and municipalities to purchase nacoas celebrating families curriculum and to receive training from nacoa on its implementation spsarv grants have also assisted celebrating families trainings in conjunction with nacoas white bison affiliate in their efforts with family recovery in the native american community.