UCC Mental Health Network
Substance Abuse Toolkit
Overview: This
Toolkit is intended for the use of faith communities and clergy to provide
ideas and resources regarding substance abuse issues. Many members of our faith community will now,
or have been, impacted by problems related to substance abuse. Moving from silence to conversation about the
issue will help reduce the stigma many people feel about substance abuse, their
own, or that of family members, and will help people become willing to reach
out to their faith community for help and support.
Impact of substance
abuse:
Substance
abuse is a major public health problem that impacts society on multiple levels.
Directly or indirectly, every community is affected by drug abuse and
addiction, as is every family. Drug abuse impacts the individual, family, and
community. A large number of individuals
who are in our jails or prisons are there as a result of illegal drug use.
Substance abuse can put heavy strain on family systems, sometimes bringing up
enabling dynamics. Faith community
members are not immune to this large societal issue.
According to SAMHSA’s (Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration) National Survey on Drug Use and Health
— 2014, about two-thirds (66.6%)of people aged 12 or older reported in 2014
that they drank alcohol in the past 12 months, with 6.4% meeting criteria for
an alcohol use disorder.
Also among Americans aged 12 or older, the use of illicit
drugs has increased over the last decade from 8.3% of the population using
illicit drugs in the past month in 2002 to 10.2% (27 million people) in 2014.
Of those, 7.1 million people met criteria for an illicit drug use disorder in
the past year.
Substance abuse can disrupt a person's ability to work, care
for himself/herself, and carry on relationships, and prolonged substance abuse
can lead to major health problems.
People who struggle with substance abuse need community
support and continuity of care to move towards recovery.
Dual
Diagnosis
When a person is affected by both
psychiatric illness and chemical dependency, they are suffering from
co-occurring conditions, known as Dual Diagnosis. Psychiatric illness and chemical
dependency affect an individual physically, psychologically, socially and
spiritually. These conditions occur
together frequently. In particular, alcohol and drug problems tend to occur
with
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Personality disorders
Someone with a dual diagnosis must treat both conditions.
What clergy/staff
need to know: The faith community is
in the unique position to offer fellowship, prayers, referrals and support to
individuals with substance abuse. It
is important to:
- Learn the facts about substance abuse
- Be careful with the way you use language. But not too careful- make sure you talk about substance abuse and dual diagnosis in church so congregants know it is something they can talk about too!
- Know the local resources in your community, and also know the resources elsewhere, like resources on referrals on www.CaringClergyProject.org.
- Along with this, keep a current list of resources.
- Know your limits. Compassion, understand and knowledge go a long way but safety is always essential.
- Know the people in your faith community, who are in recovery themselves, and can be called upon to serve as peer resources.
How your congregation
can help:
Activity ideas
- Present adult classes to educate the congregation about substance abuse.
- Include articles about substance abuse in your newsletter.
- Invite representatives from local AA and NA associations to come speak to your congregation.
- Consider offering your church space for AA and NA meetings.
Handouts
Where to find local
resources (those linked are national websites that will help you find local chapters):
- NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness)
- Alcoholics Anonymous
- Narcotics Anonymous
- Al-Anon/Ala-teen
- Community Behavioral Health Centers
- Primary Care Providers
Other Resources
“When the Servant Becomes the Master”, book by Jason Powers