Jacqueline Perrine, one of our parent coaches, and a mother from Tennessee who lost her son Adam to an opioid addiction in 2015, shared her story with News Channel 5 in Tennessee.
Adam’s addiction started when he was just a teenager and over time, he progressed from using prescription pills to heroin. Adam overdosed and passed away when he was just 30 years old.
“I would find a pill or find something like tin foil, different things that indicate pills were there or pills were being smoked. Initially I think I was in denial. I didn’t want to think about my child doing drugs,” Jacqueline said.
This fall, Jacqueline was trained to become a Parent Coach for the Partnership. Parent Coaches offer peer-to-peer support and assistance to families who are dealing with their teen or young adult’s substance issues.
“I decided I need to be an advocate,” she said. “If I can get to one parent, one child, and save them through education or training, I needed to do that to keep my son’s memory alive.”
Also interviewed for the news piece was Kristina Clark, who runs community outreach presentations for the Partnership in Tennessee, educating the local community on the opioid crisis and actions parents can take to more effectively communicate with their daughter or son. The community presentations help local residents understand the complex issue of opioid addiction, as well as learn how to get help through our free helpline at 855-DRUGFREE, access to resources and how to connect with a Partnership Parent Coach.
Kristina said of the community presentations and Partnership Parent Coaches, “It’s really difficult and lonely and scary when you’re dealing with your kids struggling with addiction. This is a great way to reach out to someone who has sat there in your shoes and to feel support and love as you’re going through that difficult time.”
Please take a look at Jacqueline’s story on News Channel 5 News: https://www.newschannel5.com/news/hotline-helps-parents-of-children-battling-addiction
Published
December 2017