SAFE Program

About the SAFE Program – Support, Advocacy, and Family Education

The SAFE Program (Support, Advocacy, and Family Education) is a comprehensive support system for individuals and families navigating the complexities of substance use disorders focused on reducing stigma and enhancing education. 

Our program connects participants with addiction psychiatrists as well as volunteers who have their own lived experience with a loved one struggling with substance misuse and mental illness. In addition to peer and group support, the SAFE program provides reliable education on substance use disorders and connects individuals to quality recovery resources. Our program adheres to full confidentiality and is completely voluntary.

Program Highlights:

Community as Method

Our goal is to provide an understanding, compassionate community where participants can benefit from solidarity, relatedness, and connectedness. There is unique trust established between a family with a loved one who is struggling and a family who has gone through this before.The pairing embraces a social dyad that supports positive change in family  behavior and lifestyle. It fosters feedback, reinforcement, and social responsibility that best supports long-term recovery.

Reducing Stigma

All our volunteers have their own experiences which they are willing to share as a way to validate the difficulty and stigma that exists in our healthcare system, while providing support on how to navigate this issue.

Harm Reduction Focus

Families can offer insight into resources that have decreased the severity and frequency of negative consequences associated with continued substance use. This can include Narcan kit distributions or connecting to social workers that can offer programs for medication-assisted treatment plans or clean-needle exchanges.

Treatment Continuum

Volunteers help bridge the families to different options they might consider for support in their recovery. While the support may be offered while individuals are in the hospital or emergency room, the individuals are offered resources to help with connecting them to the community when the loved one might be their most vulnerable and the family is having a difficult time.

SAFE-Bipolar

This unique aspect of SAFE also connects family members with experts in bipolar disorder, which is highly comorbid with substance use disorders.

SAFE Conversations

A highlight of the SAFE Program’s educational resources are the monthly webinars, known as “SAFE Conversations.” These feature guest speakers with diverse expertise in addiction and its impact on individuals and their loved ones. Thes webinars will provide professional and reliable insights, practical guidance, as well as a supportive and inspirational space for participants to come together and learn. 

• Diverse Topics: Each month, a guest speaker will focus on a unique aspect of substance use, treatment, and recovery, including topics like novel treatment modalities, harm reduction strategies, the impact of supporting someone with a substance use disorder, and the effects on family dynamics. 

• Expert Speakers: Speakers will include clinicians, researchers, advocates, recovery experts, and peers with clinical and or lived experience in the field. 

• Format and Accessibility: Webinars are educational presentations or moderated conversation with experts in the field. Participants are not required to be on camera, but audience members are able to submit questions for review or discussion. Recognizing the importance of accessibility, our webinars are available online, making it easy for individuals and families to participate from the comfort of their homes. Recordings are also made available for those who cannot attend live sessions and will be available here as part of our resource archive for SAFE program members.

Support Resources

As a complement to “SAFE Conversations” our program provides a wealth of additional resources to support individuals and families affected by substance use disorders. These resources include lists of local addiction treatment services, mutual aid groups, emergency crisis supports, and a curated selection of reading materials.

Who are the Family Supports?

• Parents and family members who are open to sharing their story of their loved one’s experiences with substances
• Addiction psychiatrists from Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian
• Family members undergo an intensive interview process and training through NewYork-Presbyterian

What services are offered?

• Initial individual consultation with an Addiction Psychiatrist with goals of providing emotional support and connection to resources
• Access to educational resources and “SAFE Conversations”
• Facilitation of non-clinical support groups made up of individuals in similar situation
• Raising awareness of existing social and other support services
• Modeling coping skills
• Providing crisis support, especially after periods of hospitalization or incarceration when family members need the most support
• Sharing personal experiences with their loved one’s struggles with substances