The Cumberland Prevention Coalition will launch a new initiative Thursday to empower grandparents to help prevent youth substance abuse.
Prevention Coordinator Natalie Hoskins said the organization is hosting its first Grandparent Coffee and Conversation event at the Art Circle Public Library. She said the hope is to establish a permanent support group.
“And what we are trying to do is empower our grandparents to understand some of the situations going on with their grandchildren and some of the decisions and choices their grandchildren have to make on a day-to-day basis when it comes to substance abuse,” Hoskins said. “And so what we are trying to do is prevent all the children from starting to use substances in our community. And we are trying to partner with our grandparents because we realize that they have a lot of influence and a lot of potential to assist these children in this decision-making.”
Hoskins said the initiative focuses on helping grandparents understand the daily challenges and decisions their grandchildren face regarding drugs and alcohol. Hoskins said the meeting will educate attendees on various substances found within the community and the importance of protective factors.
Hoskins said a primary protective factor for a young person is having a close and trusted relationship with an adult family member.
“So we are doing a grandparent roundtable where we’re going to be talking to them about those protective factors and how they can open up conversations with their grandchildren so that they can be one of those trusted adults,” Natalie Hoskins said. “And it is a very wonderful thing for them because many of them are not even aware of some of the challenges that their children, their grandchildren, and especially their teen grandchildren are facing in today’s world. So we’re hoping to empower them with knowledge and with an opportunity to learn and understand how they can be a big part in making these life-changing decisions for their grandchildren.”
Hoskins said the coalition provides hands-on resources, including specific questions grandparents can use to initiate difficult conversations. Hoskins said the organization also offers direct assistance if a grandparent discovers a child is already using substances.
“Well, the community-based gatherings that we are doing are so important because it brings the grandparents together so that they do not have to feel like they are the only ones who are going through different things with their grandchildren,” Hoskins said. “In our community, we have many grandparents that are raising their grandchildren as well. So this gives them an opportunity to come forward and to get the skills needed for this day and age to make sure that they have the knowledge to work through some of these different challenges that these young people are having in today’s communities.”
Hoskins said the coalition observed a significant number of grandparents raising their grandchildren within the school system, often because the parents are victims of substance abuse. Hoskins said the program was specifically designed to break this cycle by supporting those in these unique caregiving roles.
“When we’ve been out in the community and we have been at the school in the school systems, we have seen this time and time again,” Hoskins said. “And we realized that these grandparents need special support for these types of situations. And it came out of that. Now that doesn’t mean any grandparents can’t come because we realize that many grandparents obviously are in the lives of their grandchildren. But in a special way, we hope to be a support and provide resources to these grandparents that are in this situation where sometimes they don’t know where to turn for situations when their grandchildren may be either starting to use these substances or asking questions about them.”
Hoskins said the event at the Art Circle Public Library begins at 9:30am.
