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A Message from Founder, Dominique Simon-Levine

Dominique Simon June 24, 2022
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My name is Dominique Simon-Levine, Founder & CEO of Allies in Recovery. I am taking an opportunity to jump onto the Allies’ Member Discussion Blog to offer an update to our beloved membership regarding program news, offerings and activities. We wouldn’t be here without you!

First, let me welcome to the site the Haida and Tlingit Peoples of Alaska, along with the residents of New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Southern Florida.  Your tribe or state is generously supporting your membership to the Allies member site. Keep an eye out on our Member Blog for a page that will provide resources and pertinent information about events, policies, and more for families in your area.

Let me also welcome Spanish-speaking families from across the world. Allies in Recovery is very excited to announce that our eLearning Module Videos and Key Observation Exercises are now translated into Spanish. We are also able to respond to questions posed in Spanish (para enviarnos sus preguntas en español). You are welcome to submit a question anytime by visiting this page on our website.

Members can also look forward to a video production called “Familia Novelas” that our dedicated Allies in Recovery team has diligently been working on. Once again, a very special thank you to the State of Massachusetts for their generous support.

Here’s a little sneak peek for our membership to enjoy:

Furthermore, we urge you to check out the large blue box on the member home page which lists a number of new offerings at Allies.

Our new offerings include: Weekly Office Hours & Human Touch Calls with CRAFT Trainer & Family Advocate, Laurie MacDougall, included in the cost of your membership; Weekly CRAFT Educational Groups and CRAFT Skills Groups; and our current “10-day Challenge” where members are gifted a complimentary seat to an upcoming One-Day CRAFT Workshop after completing just half of our eLearning CRAFT Training Modules. These new offerings are in addition to our Weekly CRAFT Support Group with Clinician Kayla Solomon, our interactive Q&A Member Blog where members can request CRAFT-based insight, suggestions, tools and much more!

Please send us your questions about your situation – we’re here to answer them on the Member Blog! You’ll find our answers helpful, and so will our other members. Visit https://alliesinrecovery.net/groups/do-you-need-guidance-with-your-situation/ to submit your question.

Thank you all for being so patient as we navigated through the many hassles and challenges associated with developing and building our new website. We have a sophisticated system for correspondence and keeping in touch via email, but this framework caused a few bumps in the road along the way. Our sincerest apologies! Thank you for hanging in there with us – we are so very grateful for YOU!

(P.S. Please don’t forget to mark correspondence from us as “safe” in your e-mail inbox! One way of doing this is by adding our email address(es) to your contacts; another is by checking your SPAM/Junk folder and marking our email(s) as “safe” or “not spam”.)

Allies in Recovery is always here for you.
You Are NOT Alone!

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Dominique Simon
Dominique launched Allies in Recovery in 2003. Her work has been featured on HBO and NPR. She is a facilitator and a trained speaker on issues of addiction and the family. She has worked extensively developing and evaluating federally-funded substance abuse programs for organizations and clinics throughout Massachusetts and New York. With an interest in recovery and substance abuse that spans 20 years, she sees a huge need to help families develop the skills to help a loved one recover fully in a supportive, whole, and lasting way in their families and in their communities. Her mission is to have Allies in Recovery fill that gap.

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Landmark Legislation To Support Families of Persons With SUD Introduced in House and Senate

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Embracing the Uncomfortable: A Life Hack from Annie

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I Meant Well. Did My Words Make Him Start Drinking Again?

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Did the Boundary I Set Make Him Drink Even More?

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Allies in Recovery Holiday Schedule & Virtual Recovery Support Resource Directory

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A CRAFT Approach To Verbal Abuse

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After So Much Hard Work, He’s Slipping. How Can I Help?

Your Loved One’s journey is in their hands. But CRAFT skills can make your vital support most effective. Renee’s son has been struggling with substance use for 15 years. He’s fighting hard for his own recovery, and that includes rebuilding his career. But lately, he appears to be slipping. For his parents, and for Allies writer Laurie MacDougall, this is something of an alarm bell. The good news is that Renee’s there to support him—and reaching out to Allies for the skills and support to do so.

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“We Are Absolutely the Worst People” in Her Life: When Mental Illness, SUD, and Blame Collide 

Your CRAFT skills may be put to the test, but they’re still indispensable. Perhaps more than ever. At Allies in Recovery, we’re always impressed by the mutual support our members give each other—and wherever possible, we try to build on it. At the heart of this post is a conversation about how to take care of your emotions while staying connected with your Loved One (LO). It leads to a stark question many of us coping with SUD grapple with: how do you support a Loved One who blames, rages, and is verbally out of control? Laurie MacDougall tackles this vital, thorny issue. 

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Does This Level of Violence Rule Out CRAFT?

Nohp’s husband of 48 years is struggling with heavy alcohol use. Recently his behavior has become more alarming, and even violent. Now she’s staying outside their home, and wondering if that violence means the CRAFT approach isn’t right for their circumstances. Allies CEO Dominique Simon-Levine thinks it probably is. While underscoring that no one can decide for her, she advises Nohp to explore the skills training and support resources offered through Allies in Recovery. Quite simply, they work, and have a track record to prove it.

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Please Help Me Improve What I Say to Her

Words matter so much — both the ones we speak or write, and the one we choose not to. Fletcher921’s daughter uses meth and opioids, and was recently suspended from her job. She showed her mother the suspension letter from her employer — an act of real trust. Her mother put effort and heart into her reply, but wants to do even better next time. Allies’ Laurie MacDougall reflects on how CRAFT could help in this effort, and the possible benefits for daughter and mother alike.

Laurie MacDougall October 14, 2022
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Don’t Give Up Too Soon On Medication-Assisted Treatment

Elaine’s son is struggling to quit opioids, but the path is hard. He’s had many rounds of detox, and is now trying to self-medicate. An initial attempt at Suboxone treatment made him feel emotionless and flat. But did it have to be that way? Allies’ CEO Dominique Simon-Levine reviews the challenges and great promise of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). MAT therapies often come with a period of adjustment for our Loved One’s.

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It Feels Like Nothing Works With Him

If we focus on what’s ours to control, change is possible all the same. CRAFT skills can help you get there. Elaine’s son is back in the hospital, in a routine that’s become all too familiar to his parents. They’ve tried to help in many ways, but the health crises and the drug use that leads to them don’t seem to be changing, and Elaine’s begun to doubt they ever will. Laurie MacDougall gently challenges this idea. While a Loved One’s life isn’t ours to change, our own words, feelings, and behavior are. Allies in Recovery is committed to helping us learn to take control of these, and thereby give our Loved Ones the most effective support we can.

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Do I Want to Have Children With Him?

There’s nothing simple about such a question. But here are some pointers in the search for answers. Whits wants children and loves her partner. But is she prepared to raise children with someone who’s progress with his SUD is uncertain? No one, of course, can answer that for her. But if there is a way forward together, it will require compassionate communication, as well as boundaries and self-care. That’s where the CRAFT approach can be so powerfully helpful.

Laurie MacDougall September 23, 2022
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The Discussion Blog on the Allies Website: Excerpts From One Member’s Journey

An important component of any member’s successful journey on the Allies website is participation in the expertly-moderated Discussion Blog. There, CRAFT/AIR trained staff interact with members by answering questions in both regular replies and in full, expert blog response posts offering guidance that any member can access. Members see other members sharing questions, frustrations, and successes similar to theirs, and also they often see how the Learning Modules are effectively used as referenced by our team experts and by members. We also offer dozens of supplementary podcasts by members of our Allied Team, discussing real situations with Loved Ones and using the CRAFT approach.

Dominique Simon July 1, 2022
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You Don’t Have to Live in Manhattan to Access Recovery Services

And if AA isn’t what your Loved One’s after, there are usually alternatives
Kspring has been supporting her son on his recovery journey for years.
He’s come a long way, but the challenges still feel immense, and Kspring
is actively seeking new recovery resources that could offer a hand. Allies’
Laurie MacDougall did some digging. What she found underscores just
how much is out there—much of it independent of Zip code.

Laurie MacDougall April 26, 2022
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the recovery process and relapse

Learning Our Way Out of the Cycle of Recurrence

Even when a lot’s going right in our lives, the recovery process can be tough and painful. Outwardly, Bimba’s son’s life seems wonderful: good job, good relationship, education, financial security. Still, he only manages to remain abstinent for about 90 days at a time. While this stage of the recovery process is often brutal, there are resources and people ready to help. Sustained reinforcement —“getting the message about recovery”— is a vital piece of the puzzle.

Dominique Simon April 18, 2022
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