YCSC Grand Rounds: Addiction, adversity, and attachment—Supporting families impacted by parental substance use

Session Description

Parental substance use is a growing public health concern that has bi-generational impact. It is critical that those who work with caregivers that have substance use disorders are familiar with how to best support their intersecting identities and intergenerational mental health. Participants will learn about research linking addiction, adversity, and attachment to the parenting struggles and developmental risks in families affected by parental substance use.

The unique stressors experienced by parents with substance use disorders will also be reviewed, along with the implications for supporting families when parental addiction is part of the clinical picture. Evidence-based strategies will be introduced and research findings for a parenting intervention designed specifically for caregivers who are in treatment for substance use disorders will be reviewed.

The learning objectives for this session are for participants to be able to:

1. Describe the impact of addiction, adversity, and attachment on parenting (at multiple levels including neurobiologically, psychologically, and behaviorally)
2. Recognize the unique stressors experienced in parents impacted by addiction, and describe ways in which these contextual factors may impact families
3. Integrate knowledge about addiction, adversity, and attachment to inform a compassionate clinical framework and guide clinical approaches with families in therapeutic settings

Continuing Education

This session is approved for Continuing Education Credit (CEC) by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapist, Professional Counselor, and Licensed Psychologist Licensure renewal. Additional information and instructions for earning CEC for this session will be provided at the live event.

YCSC Grand Rounds are reviewed for eligibility for Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits on an annual basis and most lecture-style sessions are approved for the year. Yale School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Individual event designation details are provided at applicable live events.

YCSC Grand Rounds sessions are typically presented in the Cohen Auditorium at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesdays from September through June, with a live stream available via Zoom. Internal participants are encouraged to attend sessions in person​​​​​. Recordings are posted on-line as soon as they are available.