Muir Wood supports the well-being of parents as well as their teens. Parents of teens with mental health and substance use disorders need support and care. Living with a child suffering from mental health challenges can be extremely taxing on the mental health of parents and guardians. Parents seeking care for their children often experience depression, anxiety, and other issues as a result of the chaos created in the home.
Muir Wood clients and family members become part of our alumni community—one built around mutual support, understanding, and camaraderie. Perhaps no one is better able to understand the feelings and experiences of raising children with mental health and substance use disorders than other parents who have lived the same experience.
Muir Wood’s Parent Alumni Support Groups are led weekly by Muir Wood staff members, and we encourage leadership between peers in the alumni groups. Teen Alumni Support meetings are also held weekly. Muir also holds weekly support groups over Zoom for parents of clients currently in treatment. Current and alumni parents, as well as alumni teens, receive weekly emails with the dates and times of these weekly meetings.
Peer support groups, like Al-Anon and Co-Dependents Anonymous, can provide important resources and fellowship for the parents of children with substance use and mental health conditions. Muir Wood helps parents identify support groups in their local communities. Muir Wood also supports attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings for teens being treated for substance abuse, specifically Young People in AA and NA meetings, which can be found on local area websites.
To provide comprehensive treatment for teens, Muir Wood addresses the entire family. Client families receive an hour of individual family therapy each week during treatment, as well as four hours of parent coaching classes and peer support throughout the week while one’s child is in treatment at Muir Wood.
Articles for Teen Parents
Here’s some great advice for raising a healthy, happy teen: Be an engaged and hands-on parent to your kids. Discuss your family values and expectations about alcohol and substance use. […]
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They’re marketed as being teen-friendly with no alcohol or drugs and lots of positive over-18 support and supervision, but are so-called glow parties the wholesome and safe activity that they […]
In our last post, we looked at all the questions you should ask when looking for a drug rehab program for your son as he moves away from substance abuse […]
The summer months are the most common time for teenagers to drink alcohol, but if it’s happening at your house, then you are liable for what happens afterward—even if it’s […]
Like the energy drinks described in a recent post, it appears that there may be a connection between teen use of indoor tanning and substance abuse, according to the latest […]
Changes are normal for kids of all ages, and during the teen years, the changes experienced by your son can be abrupt and disconcerting. Unfortunately, these changes can be as […]
Parents will see a number of changes in their teenage children when they hit puberty and as they grow and develop after the age of 12. Personality, mood, appearance, interests, […]
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“A beer or two is normal in high school.” “I had my first drink when I was 14, and I turned out okay.” “He’s going to drink anyway. At least […]
We live in a busy world. Making time for friends and family is becoming increasingly difficult. While many parents feel that their responsibilities are growing and they are finding less […]
In this day and age, it definitely takes a village to help raise a child. With all of the new ways our children have to put themselves in harm’s way—in […]
While it’s true that making your anti-drug stance clear to your teenage son is a positive step that can help him to make good choices, it’s also true that sharing […]
Teen heroin abuse and addiction are rising across the country—and not just in urban areas. In fact, heroin overdose deaths are becoming more and more of a concern as heroin […]
A national poll published by the University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital reported that only 33 percent of parents say they are concerned about the non-medical use of addictive prescription […]
