Families Strong Support Group Family Leaders are:
• Peer (family) or agency volunteers who are trained by Mosaic Group and supported through an ongoing Learning Network
• Compassionate individuals with a continuing commitment to help others
• Motivators and cheerleaders for group members

Leaders are trained in the Families Strong model and while they are facilitating groups, must participate in implementation consultations. Following participation in the learning collaborative webinars Leaders must participate in the Families Strong Program Leader Network (the “FS Leader Network”) that will provide a series of webinars throughout the year. Such webinars will address any modifications to
the Families Strong program that have been developed, provide continuing education on curriculum implementation and will accept feedback from Leaders regarding the Families Strong program.

Leaders are not behavioral health professionals; they are volunteers who have completed the
required Families Strong training agreeing to adhere to the manual guidelines and curriculum. Families Strong Leaders are compassionate individuals with a continuing commitment to helping others. They must be able to relate to and work well with others. Group Leaders benefit by adding to their circle of friends while they are growing personally and helping others.

The Families Strong Support Group Leader role is to facilitate weekly or bi-weekly meetings (as determined by the training group) by setting up the meeting space, leading activities and encouraging healthy discussion among members. The goal is to help participants engage in new methods of coping with family members who are struggling with addiction, and to minimize the effects of the substance user’s behavior on the Families Strong participants.

Interviewer will describe What is Families Strong?
Families Strong (FS) is a support group that has been created to assist family members and friends with learning new ways of interacting with an individual who has a substance use disorder, while developing a new focus on taking care of oneself. It is a peer led and managed group through manualized intervention strategies and activities. Families Strong participants meet to share common experiences, situations or problems related to having a substance user in their family.

Families Strong is adapted from the Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) (Smith & Meyers, 2004 and Meyers and Miller, 2001) model. CRAFT is an evidence-based model that works with family members to reinforce non-substance using behavior through a positive reinforcement approach. It is a model designed for the mental health professional but modified to a peer leader approach for Families Strong. CRAFT also places a strong focus on getting the substance user into treatment and a somewhat lesser focus on self-care for the family member.

Families Strong is a nine-week closed group that meets weekly or bi-weekly for two hours. The group adheres to the curriculum as designed. The groups should have a maximum of twelve members and two leaders, allowing time for each member to have his or her voice heard. Initial groups will be led by family facilitators. Mosaic Group provides manuals and training for group facilitators who participate in a learning collaborative and an ongoing Learning Network.