Engaging Families to Improve Co-Occurring Outcomes Presented by Jill S. Perry, MS, NCC, LPC, CAADC, SAP June 8, 2018

JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

What does COD Look Like? JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

Review

Stigma

Stigma Where does it come from? Labels that follow people through their life Labels that can limit a person’s identity HOW DO WE CONTRIBUTE?

5 Rules to Eliminate Stigma 1) Don’t label people who have a mental illness or addiction 2) Don’t be afraid of people with mental illness or addiction 3) Don’t use disrespectful terms for people with mental illness or addiction 4) Don’t be insensitive or blame people with mental illness or addiction 5) Be a role model

Employ a Recovery Perspective with INDIVIDUALS and FAMILIES There are two main features of the recovery perspective: 1. It acknowledges that recovery is a long- term process of internal change 2. it recognizes that these internal changes proceed through various stages. JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

What is a Family? JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

What Does Family Look Like? JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

Other Ways to Look at Family JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

How do Families work? JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

Family Systems Theory When there is a change in any individual member of the family, others in the family system are impacted. Families are seen as organisms that continuously change and reconstitute themselves. JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

Family Systems Theory—8 concepts Triangles 3-person relationship system: building block of larger emotions systems Smallest stable relationship system 2-person system is unstable because it can only tolerate little tension before involving a 3rd person If tension is too high for 1 triangle to contain, it spreads to a series of “interlocking” triangles JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

Triangles More stable than a dyad but creates an “odd man out” Although there is more stability for tension, there is also more conflict generated when the “outside” person tries to change his place JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

Martha & Michael (A)

Amy (B)

Differentiation of Self Families and other social groups affect how people think, feel, and act Individuals vary in their susceptibility to a “groupthink” Groups vary in the amount of pressure they exert for conformity. The basic building blocks of a “self” are inborn, but an individual’s family relationships during childhood and adolescence primarily determine how much “self” is developed. JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

Differentiation of Self People with a poorly differentiated “self” depend so heavily on the acceptance and approval of others Bullies & Chameleons People with well-differentiated “self” recognize realistic dependence on others but can still make their own decisions JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

Martha, Michael & Amy ©

Nuclear Family Emotional Process Marital Conflict—As family tension increases, each spouse externalizes his or her anxiety into the marital relationship Dysfunction in One Spouse—One spouse pressures the other to think and act in certain ways and the other yields to the pressure. Both act to preserve harmony but often one does more than the other. As family tension arises, the subordinate spouse may have increased anxiety which can lead to dysfunction JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

Nuclear Family Emotional Process Impairment of One or More Children—Spouses focus their anxieties on one or more of the children. The more the parents focus on the child, the more the child focuses on them becoming more reactive with his/her attitudes, needs and expectations. Emotional Distance—People distance from each other to reduce intensity but risk becoming too isolated. The more anxiety one person or one relationship absorbs, the less other people must absorb. Some family members maintain their functioning at the expense of others. JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

Martha, Michael & Amy (D)

Martha, Michael, Amy & Marie €

Family Projection Process The primary way parents transmit their emotional problems to a child Heightened needs for attention & approval Difficulty dealing with expectations Tendency to blame oneself or others Feeling responsible for the happiness of others Acting impulsively to relieve the anxiety of the moment rather than tolerating anxiety and acting thoughtfully JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

Family Projection Process 3 Steps to Projection Process: The parent focuses on a child out of fear that something is wrong with the child The parent interprets the child’s behavior as confirming the fear The parent treats the child as if something is really wrong with the child.

Martha, Michael & Amy (F)

Martha, Michael, Amy & Marie (G)

Multigenerational Transmission Process Small differences in the levels of differentiation lead to marked differences in differentiation among members of a multigenerational family.

Martha, Michael, Amy & Marie (H)

Emotional Cutoff A way to manage unresolved emotional issues with family members by reducing or totally cutting off emotional contact with them Geographic Avoiding sensitive issues JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

Martha & Michael (I)

Sibling Position

Martha & Michael (J)

Societal Emotional Process Systems theory applies to nonfamily groups Work Social organizations Friendships  People often act to relieve the anxiety of the moment rather than act on principle and a long-term view Similarities in families and justice system

Cultural Issues Refers to all aspects of society that influence beliefs, opinions, and choices Advertising Media Public Relations Economic Globalization Religion Politics Language Education JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families

Cultural Issues Shared knowledge, behavioral norms, values and beliefs that help people to live in families, group and communities. Can define groups within parameters: Religion Occupation (blue collar, military) Region Other (LGBTQ, sports team) JP Counseling & Associates, LLC Healing for Adults, Youth and Families