New support group for those coping with drug-dependent loved ones
Having worked in the court system for several years, Kathleen Hoffman has seen plenty of parents dealing with children who have drug and alcohol problems.
Hoffman said she’s seen distressed parents and spouses, and she’s tried to talk to them and console them. Then she had the idea to create a support system for these people.
“What prompted me to create these programs were all of the overdoses and deaths in our community,” she said.
She said the number of parents “sectioning” children because of drug and alcohol abuse has shot up in recent years.
Sectioning -- shorthand for Section 35 of Chapter 123 of Massachusetts General Laws -- refers to the process through which an individual asks the court to involuntarily commit another person who abuses drugs and alcohol. The person who is "sectioned" is committed for up to 90 days to a treatment facility, unless no room is available, in which case the person is sent to a correctional facility.
According to Hoffman, she created the town's first court advocacy program for those sectioning a substance abuser.
The grant-funded program walks people through the process of sectioning a child or loved one, from filing the paperwork to meeting with a judge and more.
The advocacy program is linked with a support group that Hoffman runs on Thursday evenings at the First Spiritualist Church in Onset.
Hoffman said the goal is to empower, educate and support those trying to help their child or loved one.
“It gives you good coping mechanisms and makes you think instead of dealing with it only on an emotional level,” said a woman who attends the group because of her child, but who chose to remain anonymous. “It’s people from all different socio-economic backgrounds. It’s a welcoming group.”
Hoffman obtained the grant for the advocacy program in May and started the support group in September.
She is now looking for volunteers for both the advocacy and support programs. Anyone looking for more information on attending or joining these programs can contact Kathleen at abundance117@comcast.net.
