Media > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Now in bookstores (Parenting/Self-Help)
Price: $19.95

Contact:  Patricia O’Gorman, (518) 392-2902, information@ogormandiaz.com
(Review copies available on request)

Renowned Child Welfare Experts Release
Groundbreaking Handbook on Parenting for Addicted Families

The Lowdown on Families Who Get High Authors
Available for Interviews Nationwide

Aug. 17, 2005 — An estimated 1 in 4 U.S. children is exposed to an alcohol problem at home, and countless more are affected by family drug addiction, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). These children are at increased risk of a range of problems, including: physical illness, emotional disturbances, behavior problems, lower educational performance, and susceptibility to alcoholism or other addiction later in life.

SAMHSA estimates 5 million alcohol-dependent or alcohol-abusing parents have at least one child living at home with them, not counting the children outside the home and children of parents and caregivers affected by other drug addiction.

Until now, these parents and caregivers have had to turn to multiple resources for help in raising healthy children, lacking a comprehensive reference addressing their specific concerns. In The Lowdown on Families Who Get High: Successful Parenting for Families Affected by Addiction, noted psychologist Dr. Patricia O’Gorman and Phil Diaz, M.S.W., offer the first all-inclusive, easy-to-read, practical parenting guide for families affected by addiction. Based on nearly 30 years of clinical work, The Lowdown on Families Who Get High also serves as a manual for professionals involved in caring for addicted families.

“O’Gorman and Diaz have done a masterful job of helping both addicted and recovering parents, as well as those who grew up with addicted parents, to see and feel life’s day-to-day struggles through the eyes and from the hearts of the children they are trying to parent, “ said Sis Wenger, Executive Director of the National Association for Children of Alcoholics. “Recovering parents who follow the ‘rules’ and steps outlined in this book will nurture their own and their children’s emotional safety and resilience.”

Blending personal stories and documented research, each chapter addresses the intertwined concerns of parents, caregivers, children of addicts, and the addicts themselves, as well as the human service professionals serving them. Among the book’s highlights are:

• 11 Basic Rules for Parents Learning to Live With Addiction & Making Changes
• The Official Al-Anon “How Can I Help My Children?” Checklist for Parents
• Specialized Advice for Parents & Caregivers Who are Adult Children of Alcoholics
• The 12 Steps of Parenting: The 12 Steps of AA Revised for Parents & Caregivers
• Child-Age Specific Parenting Skills: Infancy, Toddler, School-Age, & Adolescents
• Dedicated Advice & Checklists on When to Seek Professional Help

For human service professionals, The Lowdown on Families Who Get High provides a comprehensive reference on substance abuse, child welfare and the law, as well exercises for motivating and engaging high-risk families challenged by addiction. This handbook shows parents, caregivers, and professionals that being a parent or caregiver and being in recovery can be a win/win situation.

The Lowdown on Families Who Get High (2004) is published by the Child & Family Press of the Child Welfare League of America, the nation’s oldest and largest membership-based child-welfare organization. Copies are available for purchase from www.cwla.org/pubs, Amazon.com, and in the Parenting/Self-Help sections of neighborhood bookstores throughout the United States.

About the Authors

Patricia O’Gorman, Ph.D., is a psychologist, consultant, and author noted for her work in the child welfare and substance abuse fields. She is currently the Chief Psychologist of Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth in Canaan, N.Y. She has held national and statewide positions including: Director of the Division of Prevention for the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; Founding Director of the National Council on Alcoholism’s Department of Prevention and Education; and co-founder of the National Association for Children of Alcoholics.

Phil Diaz, M.S.W., is past CEO of Gateway Community Services, Inc., the largest provider of substance abuse treatment and prevention services for adults, children and families in Northeast Florida. A social worker with over 25 years of experience in drug prevention and treatment, Mr. Diaz has served as Assistant Deputy Director for Prevention in the Office of Demand Reduction within the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. He is a founding board member of the National Association for Children of Alcoholics and the National Association of Native American Children of Alcoholics, and a founding chairperson of the National Drug Prevention League.

Additional books by Dr. O’Gorman and Mr. Diaz include 12 Steps to Self-Parenting, 12 Steps to Self-Parenting Workbook, available from Health Communications, Inc., and Dr. O'Gorman's Dancing Backwards in High Heels: How Women Master the Art of Resilience, published by Hazelden, For more information about the authors, visit www.ogormandiaz.com.