Revealing What Exactly Educational and Therapeutic Consultants Do (and don’t do), with Joanna Lilley
When my son began using drugs and alcohol, I did what a lot of parents do: I dove headfirst into a world I didn't know existed, trying to evaluate all the possible programs and places he might go to get help. But there's so much to learn about the treatment world, and the knowledge is extremely specialized, making it almost impossible to sift through it effectively without an expert guide. On today's show, I spoke with someone who is that guide for families. She’s revealing what consultants actually do, how they do it and how working with one can impact your child’s treatment journey.
Insights From Honest Conversations With Treatment Programs, Consultants, and Real World Parents
I recently sat down with over 20 treatment program owners, directors, therapists, educational consultants, and 20+ parents who are or have been on the journey with their kids, and I'm sharing the insights I gleaned in today's episode.
From insurance nightmares to difficult transitions and THC-induced psychosis, I cover a lot of territory, bringing you a boots-on-the-ground view into what's really going on today in treatment and the struggles parents are facing when they have a child who misuses substances.
The show notes for this episode have many resources you'll find helpful as you navigate this rocky terrain.
Decoding Today’s Adolescent Substance Use Treatment Landscape, with Trish Ruggles
At some point along your child's journey with substance misuse and mental health challenges, you’ll almost certainly need to make difficult decisions about treatment. If they’re an adolescent, this becomes a complicated and heart-wrenching decision. Trish Ruggles is a licensed clinical professional counselor and therapeutic educational consultant with 15 years experience in the treatment industry. She has intimate, on-the-ground knowledge of the wide spectrum of mental health and substance use programs, and works with families to match the right treatment setting with a young person’s therapeutic and academic needs.
Exposing the Hard Truths: Insurance Claims Denials for Substance Use Treatment, with Mark DeBofsky
Parents trying to navigate treatment with their kids are already pushed to their mental and emotional limits. When you're in it, you're so overwhelmed that it's hard to think about something as frustrating and time-consuming as insurance. But my guest today reminds us the earlier you get started and the more thorough your documentation, the more likely you are to receive coverage for the resources and services your child needs.
recovery story: from drug-induced psychosis and homelessness to a stable life at age 22
I’m always happy to share testimony from individuals in recovery. Their stories give hope and perspective to families of young people currently working through substance misuse and treatment. The stories I’ve previously shared have almost always been from people in recovery for a decade or more, so today, you’ll hear from a young man who is 22, celebrating one-year substance-free and living a healthy, stable life.
Writing H.O.M.E. – a new roadmap for parents with kids in treatment with, Solutions Parenting Support
The experience of parenting a child in treatment or transitioning to recovery almost always feels like uncharted territory. And for each of us as individuals, it usually is. But what if there was a way to zoom out and find patterns within thousands of family experiences? With that insight, we might even be able to predict situations parents will find themselves in and prepare ourselves appropriately.
prepare for landing: tools for a more realistic transition home from treatment with Jen Murphy and Hilary Moses of Solutions Parenting Support
In this episode, I sat down with two experts who specialize in supporting parents during this vulnerable time-Jen Murphy and Hilary Moses of Solutions Parenting Support. You’ll hear why it’s so easy to fall into the trap of thinking “all is lost” when the tools you’ve all gained during treatment feel so difficult to implement in a new setting.