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Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of fifty, according to preliminary data compiled by The New York Times. The Massachusetts Department of Health estimates over 2,000 opioid-related deaths among Massachusetts residents in 2016. Delores Reyes, Senior Trainer and Facilitator for Sober Parenting Journey, knows the opioid epidemic intimately. “People are dying,” she says, “and that’s why we need this program.”

Sober Parenting Journey offers a safe space for parents in recovery to build skills with parents and facilitators who understand the unique challenges of raising kids while fighting addiction. Our spring newsletter highlighted Sober Parenting Journey’s revitalized curriculum; Delores is now training facilitators to expand the program to other organizations.

June 26-30, thirteen participants gathered at Parenting Journey’s Somerville headquarters for the first-ever Sober Parenting Journey Facilitator Training. Some participants came long distances to attend. Tamara Wolf of Sinnissippi Centers, a community behavioral healthcare organization in Sterling, Illinois, says Sober Parenting Journey will “fill a void” for parents who haven’t reached the sobriety threshold for the centers’ other programs.  She’s excited about what the groups can offer struggling parents in the early months of recovery: “What a supportive, educational place to be during that time.”

For AnnMarie Teuber, who co-led alongside Delores Reyes, the first-ever Sober Parenting Journey facilitator training was her last after two decades of work with Parenting Journey. We thank her for tireless work as an advocate for stronger families.

Click here to learn when the next Sober Parenting Journey Program will be offered. 

Click here to learn when the next Sober Parenting Journey Facilitator Training will be offered.