Participation Type
Roundtable
Session Title
“All Hands on Deck and All Voices at the Table: Community Support for Children Impacted by Family Members’ Substance Abuse”
Session Abstract or Summary
Summary: Central Appalachia (and outlying areas to which Appalachians have migrated) has been at the epicenter of the national drug crisis, with a “poisoning” morbidity rate that is 146% higher than the national average. West Virginia now has the highest rate of drug overdoses in the country. While attention has focused on identifying risk factors and providing treatment for teens and adults, targeted efforts to mitigate the impact of family members’ drug use on pre-teen children have been woefully inadequate and child welfare resources are overwhelmed (ARC, 2017; NCHS, 2016; Park and Block, 2016; Moody, Satterwhite, and Bickel, 2017; ASPE, 2018). A recent Harvard study found that children whose parents suffer from addiction are three times more likely to be physically, sexually, or emotionally abused and four times more likely to experience emotional or physical neglect (Smith and Wilson, 2016). They often have educational delays and are at greater risk for mental and behavioral health problems. This round table seeks to initiate a dialogue and foster an effective network among grassroots community members ready to address the ravaging effects of addiction on its youngest victims. Discussion will include: stresses experienced by the children and their care givers, barriers to providing services, promising programs that may serve as models, existing recovery and support efforts that might be extended to include pre-teen children, and strategies for community asset mapping that will equip concerned citizens to begin this essential work.
Presentation #1 Title
“All Hands on Deck and All Voices at the Table: Community Support for Children Impacted by Family Members’ Substance Abuse”
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Central Appalachia (and outlying areas to which Appalachians have migrated) has been at the epicenter of the national drug crisis, with a “poisoning” morbidity rate that is 146% higher than the national average. West Virginia now has the highest rate of drug overdoses in the country. While attention has focused on identifying risk factors and providing treatment for teens and adults, targeted efforts to mitigate the impact of family members’ drug use on pre-teen children have been woefully inadequate and child welfare resources are overwhelmed (ARC, 2017; NCHS, 2016; Park and Block, 2016; Moody, Satterwhite, and Bickel, 2017; ASPE, 2018). A recent Harvard study found that children whose parents suffer from addiction are three times more likely to be physically, sexually, or emotionally abused and four times more likely to experience emotional or physical neglect (Smith and Wilson, 2016). They often have educational delays and are at greater risk for mental and behavioral health problems. This round table seeks to initiate a dialogue and foster an effective network among grassroots community members ready to address the ravaging effects of addiction on its youngest victims. Discussion will include: stresses experienced by the children and their care givers, barriers to providing services, promising programs that may serve as models, existing recovery and support efforts that might be extended to include pre-teen children, and strategies for community asset mapping that will equip concerned citizens to begin this essential work.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Joy Gritton teaches art history and directs the interdisciplinary Appalachian Studies program at Morehead State University. She also coordinates an after school program for K-5 children in a Rowan County, Kentucky community hard hit by the drug epidemic. Her academic research focuses on the relationship between the arts and social welfare, sustainable and culturally sensitive economic development, and healthy cross-cultural and inclusive relations in a pluralistic society. Founder and coordinator of the Eastern Kentucky Arts Program, she is currently completing a book on Allen Eaton. Gritton was Program Chair for 2018 conference.
Presentation #2 Title
“All Hands on Deck and All Voices at the Table: Community Support for Children Impacted by Family Members’ Substance Abuse”
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
Central Appalachia (and outlying areas to which Appalachians have migrated) has been at the epicenter of the national drug crisis, with a “poisoning” morbidity rate that is 146% higher than the national average. West Virginia now has the highest rate of drug overdoses in the country. While attention has focused on identifying risk factors and providing treatment for teens and adults, targeted efforts to mitigate the impact of family members’ drug use on pre-teen children have been woefully inadequate and child welfare resources are overwhelmed (ARC, 2017; NCHS, 2016; Park and Block, 2016; Moody, Satterwhite, and Bickel, 2017; ASPE, 2018). A recent Harvard study found that children whose parents suffer from addiction are three times more likely to be physically, sexually, or emotionally abused and four times more likely to experience emotional or physical neglect (Smith and Wilson, 2016). They often have educational delays and are at greater risk for mental and behavioral health problems. This round table seeks to initiate a dialogue and foster an effective network among grassroots community members ready to address the ravaging effects of addiction on its youngest victims. Discussion will include: stresses experienced by the children and their care givers, barriers to providing services, promising programs that may serve as models, existing recovery and support efforts that might be extended to include pre-teen children, and strategies for community asset mapping that will equip concerned citizens to begin this essential work.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Amelia Charles, originally from Southwest Virginia, now lives in Johnson City, TN while pursuing a M.A. in Appalachian Studies at East Tennessee State University. There she focuses on community and cultural studies. She received a B.S. of Honors in Psychology from Bluefield College, where she conducted original research on learned helplessness among college students in Central Appalachia and ethical Appalachian community development. After graduating, she taught in the Arkansas Delta as a Teach for America Corps member. Amelia now owns JonBoys Pizza, in her hometown and partners with the local community and non-profits to support education and youth organizations and economic development projects,
Presentation #3 Title
“All Hands on Deck and All Voices at the Table: Community Support for Children Impacted by Family Members’ Substance Abuse”
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
Central Appalachia (and outlying areas to which Appalachians have migrated) has been at the epicenter of the national drug crisis, with a “poisoning” morbidity rate that is 146% higher than the national average. West Virginia now has the highest rate of drug overdoses in the country. While attention has focused on identifying risk factors and providing treatment for teens and adults, targeted efforts to mitigate the impact of family members’ drug use on pre-teen children have been woefully inadequate and child welfare resources are overwhelmed (ARC, 2017; NCHS, 2016; Park and Block, 2016; Moody, Satterwhite, and Bickel, 2017; ASPE, 2018). A recent Harvard study found that children whose parents suffer from addiction are three times more likely to be physically, sexually, or emotionally abused and four times more likely to experience emotional or physical neglect (Smith and Wilson, 2016). They often have educational delays and are at greater risk for mental and behavioral health problems. This round table seeks to initiate a dialogue and foster an effective network among grassroots community members ready to address the ravaging effects of addiction on its youngest victims. Discussion will include: stresses experienced by the children and their care givers, barriers to providing services, promising programs that may serve as models, existing recovery and support efforts that might be extended to include pre-teen children, and strategies for community asset mapping that will equip concerned citizens to begin this essential work.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
David A. Gross is an administrative director for education and research at St. Claire HealthCare (including the Northeast Kentucky Area Health Education Center). He is a past president of the Kentucky Rural Health Association, a prior member of the National Rural Health Association’s Rural Health Congress, and a current member of the National AHEC Organization’s Center Director Constituency Group Leadership Team. In 2018, he was a panelist on one of five U.S. Department of Agriculture opioid roundtables held across the nation and currently serves as project director for the HRSA-supported Northeast Kentucky Opioid Crisis Response Network.
Presentation #4 Title
“All Hands on Deck and All Voices at the Table: Community Support for Children Impacted by Family Members’ Substance Abuse”
Presentation #4 Abstract or Summary
Central Appalachia (and outlying areas to which Appalachians have migrated) has been at the epicenter of the national drug crisis, with a “poisoning” morbidity rate that is 146% higher than the national average. West Virginia now has the highest rate of drug overdoses in the country. While attention has focused on identifying risk factors and providing treatment for teens and adults, targeted efforts to mitigate the impact of family members’ drug use on pre-teen children have been woefully inadequate and child welfare resources are overwhelmed (ARC, 2017; NCHS, 2016; Park and Block, 2016; Moody, Satterwhite, and Bickel, 2017; ASPE, 2018). A recent Harvard study found that children whose parents suffer from addiction are three times more likely to be physically, sexually, or emotionally abused and four times more likely to experience emotional or physical neglect (Smith and Wilson, 2016). They often have educational delays and are at greater risk for mental and behavioral health problems. This round table seeks to initiate a dialogue and foster an effective network among grassroots community members ready to address the ravaging effects of addiction on its youngest victims. Discussion will include: stresses experienced by the children and their care givers, barriers to providing services, promising programs that may serve as models, existing recovery and support efforts that might be extended to include pre-teen children, and strategies for community asset mapping that will equip concerned citizens to begin this essential work.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
Dan Click directs the Grayson Gallery and Art Center in Grayson, Kentucky, now in its seventh year hosting community exhibitions, music performances, poetry readings, dance, plays, workshops, and youth art and culture camps. In 2016 the gallery was the recipient of a Kentucky Foundation for Women grant to hold arts workshops for substitute parents and children affected by the addiction crisis, culminating in an exhibit featuring their work. The center partners with civic, arts, business, government, and education organizations.
Presentation #5 Title
“All Hands on Deck and All Voices at the Table: Community Support for Children Impacted by Family Members’ Substance Abuse”
Presentation #5 Abstract or Summary
Central Appalachia (and outlying areas to which Appalachians have migrated) has been at the epicenter of the national drug crisis, with a “poisoning” morbidity rate that is 146% higher than the national average. West Virginia now has the highest rate of drug overdoses in the country. While attention has focused on identifying risk factors and providing treatment for teens and adults, targeted efforts to mitigate the impact of family members’ drug use on pre-teen children have been woefully inadequate and child welfare resources are overwhelmed (ARC, 2017; NCHS, 2016; Park and Block, 2016; Moody, Satterwhite, and Bickel, 2017; ASPE, 2018). A recent Harvard study found that children whose parents suffer from addiction are three times more likely to be physically, sexually, or emotionally abused and four times more likely to experience emotional or physical neglect (Smith and Wilson, 2016). They often have educational delays and are at greater risk for mental and behavioral health problems. This round table seeks to initiate a dialogue and foster an effective network among grassroots community members ready to address the ravaging effects of addiction on its youngest victims. Discussion will include: stresses experienced by the children and their care givers, barriers to providing services, promising programs that may serve as models, existing recovery and support efforts that might be extended to include pre-teen children, and strategies for community asset mapping that will equip concerned citizens to begin this essential work.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #5
Michael M. is the pseudonym of a high school student whose writings have appeared in a quarterly state newspaper for foster families, on the Department of Health and Human Services’ Children's Bureau’s "Real Life Stories" page, in Pine Mountain Sand and Gravel, and in Counting Down: A Memoir of Foster Parenting and Beyond (Ohio University Press, 2018. He has participated on three previous ASA panels and won second place in the national Foster Club Creative Expressions competition in 2015. He is currently a high school junior.
Presentation #6 Title
“All Hands on Deck and All Voices at the Table: Community Support for Children Impacted by Family Members’ Substance Abuse”
Presentation #6 Abstract or Summary
Central Appalachia (and outlying areas to which Appalachians have migrated) has been at the epicenter of the national drug crisis, with a “poisoning” morbidity rate that is 146% higher than the national average. West Virginia now has the highest rate of drug overdoses in the country. While attention has focused on identifying risk factors and providing treatment for teens and adults, targeted efforts to mitigate the impact of family members’ drug use on pre-teen children have been woefully inadequate and child welfare resources are overwhelmed (ARC, 2017; NCHS, 2016; Park and Block, 2016; Moody, Satterwhite, and Bickel, 2017; ASPE, 2018). A recent Harvard study found that children whose parents suffer from addiction are three times more likely to be physically, sexually, or emotionally abused and four times more likely to experience emotional or physical neglect (Smith and Wilson, 2016). They often have educational delays and are at greater risk for mental and behavioral health problems. This round table seeks to initiate a dialogue and foster an effective network among grassroots community members ready to address the ravaging effects of addiction on its youngest victims. Discussion will include: stresses experienced by the children and their care givers, barriers to providing services, promising programs that may serve as models, existing recovery and support efforts that might be extended to include pre-teen children, and strategies for community asset mapping that will equip concerned citizens to begin this essential work.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #6
Linda Leforce is the child of a loving single mother who raised 2 daughters alone with a prescription drug addiction. Even though she has no drug addictions, she believes some of her choices in life may have contributed to how even her own daughter is addicted. She is now raising 3 of her daughter’s children. Linda’s plea: My story is long and full of sadness and I am certain other grandparents raising their grandchildren share the same kind of story. This epidemic did not happen overnight and it cannot be eliminated overnight. Children from homes with drug addiction need our help. Therapy may be beneficial for these children, but it cannot be the only tool. These children need community support with programs that can provide fun, learning opportunities, and adult role models that can influence, teach, and give these children self-confidence. We need to find a way to build these children up so the cycle does not keep repeating.
“All Hands on Deck and All Voices at the Table: Community Support for Children Impacted by Family Members’ Substance Abuse”
Central Appalachia (and outlying areas to which Appalachians have migrated) has been at the epicenter of the national drug crisis, with a “poisoning” morbidity rate that is 146% higher than the national average. West Virginia now has the highest rate of drug overdoses in the country. While attention has focused on identifying risk factors and providing treatment for teens and adults, targeted efforts to mitigate the impact of family members’ drug use on pre-teen children have been woefully inadequate and child welfare resources are overwhelmed (ARC, 2017; NCHS, 2016; Park and Block, 2016; Moody, Satterwhite, and Bickel, 2017; ASPE, 2018). A recent Harvard study found that children whose parents suffer from addiction are three times more likely to be physically, sexually, or emotionally abused and four times more likely to experience emotional or physical neglect (Smith and Wilson, 2016). They often have educational delays and are at greater risk for mental and behavioral health problems. This round table seeks to initiate a dialogue and foster an effective network among grassroots community members ready to address the ravaging effects of addiction on its youngest victims. Discussion will include: stresses experienced by the children and their care givers, barriers to providing services, promising programs that may serve as models, existing recovery and support efforts that might be extended to include pre-teen children, and strategies for community asset mapping that will equip concerned citizens to begin this essential work.
