Children and Families Strategy Area / Youth Deflection Strategy Area

The Children and Families Strategy Area and the Youth Deflection Strategy Area work to enable effective intervention and support programs for children living with parents, guardians, or household members that have substance use disorders. PTACC Core Values depend on behavioral health, housing, social services, and faith communities taking a lead in deflection alongside law enforcement and first responders. This group of providers and community partners have an essential role that requires addressing the needs of impacted children and families in deflection planning. This Strategy area will include addressing the increasing needs of grandparents and elderly family members who are raising their grandchildren due to their adult children’s addiction. Also included is a focus on women and emerging female adults, with special attention to women at risk for arrest.

The Children and Families Strategy Area, as indicated by tenets outlined in PTACC’s Core Values, operates under the belief that ignoring the one in four children living with parental and household addiction will continue this devastating cycle. Addressing the challenges that these children and their caregivers face will help them to avoid criminal justice involvement, chronic health conditions, limited education, and other consequences that result from the trauma of living with familial addiction.

These Strategy Areas meet on the third Thursday of the month from 11-12pm ET. For more information, or to become involved with the Children and Families group, please e-mail the Co-Chairs, Leslie Balonick, at leslie.balonick3@gmail.com, and Denise Bertin-Epp, at denisebepp@nacoa.org. For more information, or to become involved with the Youth Deflection group, please e-mail the Co-Chairs, Peria Duncan, at peria.duncan@civilcitation.com, and Tom Olk, at tom.olk@civilcitation.com.