Grant To Liberation Programs Aids Norwalk Families In Recovery

NORWALK, Conn. – Liberation Programs recently received a $20,000 grant from Fairfield County’s Community Foundation’s Fund for Women and Girls to support the agency’s Families in Recovery program in Norwalk.

Sara Piatti, one of the mothers in Liberation's Families in Recovery program, cooks for the women and children in the program.
Photo Credit: *Provided*

Robert Berczuk

08/10/2015 4:30 a.m.

Families in Recovery is a long-term in-patient residential addiction treatment program for pregnant or parenting women. The program also provides special services for children and is unique in Connecticut since it is the only program of its kind where mothers can bring two children up to the age of 10 to stay with them while they are in treatment.

“For many women, this is a critical tipping point because a mother would rather go without help – than be separated from her children," said Alan Mathis, Liberation’s president and CEO, in a press release.

An estimated 20,000 women in Connecticut are in need of substance-abuse care each year, but only 25 percent receive the help they need, according to a press release. Because they fail to get aid, two-thirds of the more than 7,000 children placed in foster care each year are there due to a parent’s substance abuse problem, according to a press release.

Daily activities for the women include individual and group counseling sessions. Women are also responsible for sharing chores, such as meal preparation. For many women, cooking and a focus on nutrition are new skills to be learned. Women also are assisted in resolving any issues with the criminal justice system and connecting to housing and continued education and vocational training, according to a press release.

Any health issues are also addressed, especially if a woman is pregnant, and mental health support is another facet of treatment, according to a press release.

Liberation Programs is a Fairfield County behavioral organization specializing in treatment for substance abuse. Liberation provides services for adults and families that include two residential treatment programs, outpatient and intensive outpatient services, special services for older adults and people living with HIV/AIDS, permanent supportive housing, and extensive support services for youth ages 12-18 and their families. The agency has locations in Greenwich, Stamford, Norwalk and Bridgeport.

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