safety alertalert exclamation

If you are in danger, please use a safer computer, call 911 or your local hotline or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233 voice), 1-800-787-3224 (tty). There is always a computer trail, but you can click ESCAPE to leave the site quickly.

home>resources>

Question 8

How do you maintain a drug and alcohol free shelter with issues that are so deeply embedded in each other?

Develop Strategies for Safety and Sobriety

  1. Have releases of information and identify who to call for help (e.g. sponsor, counselor, Alcohol Drug Help Line); help program participant form support systems, know about safe meetings; consider having an on-site support group.
  2. Get educated. Know information about addiction. Talk to women in recovery. Purchase resources, videos, recovery workbooks, posters, etc. to make your program ‘user’ friendly.
  3. Remove substances and paraphernalia from the program (e.g. cough syrup and mouth washes with alcohol, pseudoephedrine, old medications, etc.)
  4. Recognize unsafe persons, places, things putting a woman’s sobriety at risk can also threaten her safety.
  5. Understand how to deal with legal and other problems stemming from addiction (e.g. health, OCS/CPS involvement, poor nutrition) contributing to safety problems
  6. Help program participants assemble paperwork to determine eligibility for substance abuse treatment, public assistance, employment, school, housing or other options.
  7. Know how domestic violence can be a relapse issue and know how batterers use both addiction status and substances to harm program participants
  8. Understand physical, emotional, cognitive, environmental and other cues indicative of risk for use and have a plan to help program participants deal with these issues; recognize the role of stress and craving, have a plan to help program participants deal with these issues as well.
  9. Help program participants learn parenting options, figure out options to engage in relationships, develop sober friendships
  10. Be consistent but flexible
  11. Address substance abuse issues promptly. Note concerns verbally or in the log (not client file) and shred the log regularly. Address alcohol/drug issues promptly. Do not fail to address alcohol/drug issues more than one shift. Delays increase risk and make advocacy and safety more challenging.
  12. Seek consultation regularly; hypotheticals with non-identifying info do not breach confidentiality.
  13. Prioritize hiring recovering advocates and/or advocates with substance abuse prevention or counseling backgrounds. Recruit recovering women as volunteers and staff.
  14. Consider addressing addiction both as a safety issue and as anti-oppression work. You are preventing able-bodyism and keeping batterers from benefiting from negative stereotypes about women with addiction. This is a life long process.

Getting Safe and Sober: Real Tools You Can Use
©Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault 2005