Patient Resources

Conversations about addiction, parental separation, reunification, and loss are often avoided out of fear of causing harm; however, silence and avoidance can reinforce stigma and prevent children from feeling secure in their relationships.  

The Supporting Our Families Through Addiction and Recovery (SOFAR) clinic at Boston Medical Center can provide one on one individualized support to parents and caregivers to explain loss, addiction, caregiver transitions, and other challenging topics.  Our social worker and developmental behavioral pediatrician have partnered to draft a "Lifebook" template as a tool to share with families affected by parental substance use disorders. Drawing on resources from the Sesame Street Workshops, Chandra Ghosh Ippen's book "Mamas Waves" and "Daddys Waves," we support families in drafting narratives unique to children's experiences with their families.  The lifebook can be used to support children's emotional processing, identify formation, and connection to family narratives in the context of addiction and recovery.