Triple Divide Lodge

Parenting Through Recovery: Balancing Responsibility and Support

Triple Divide Lodge recently hosted a Family Program during which our Executive Director, Patrick Hawkins, discussed the critical importance of continuing care for clients and families struggling with substance abuse. Family programming helps families understand how their son’s, brother’s, or loved one’s condition has affected them, to initiate and focus on their own recovery, and how they can be of support throughout their journey to recovery.

Patrick Hawkins Discusses Continuation of Care at Home

During the seminar, Patrick gives an introduction to the American Society for Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Patient Placement Criteria. This system is designed to assist in recognizing what level of care is appropriate for clients. It also recognizes that recovery takes place on a continuum that is dynamic to meet the needs of clients where they are in the process.

He also emphasized thatfamilies play a vital role in their son’s recovery. It’s not just about when the client is ready to come home, families must also be prepared to parent a young man afflicted with the disease of addiction. At Triple Divide Lodge, we recognize that addiction requires a continuum of care rather than simply an aftercare plan. Therefore, we work closely with referring professionals to help families identify local resources that can support their recovery and, at some point, their sons back home. Recommendations for continued care are made and plans put in place, but ultimately, it’s up to the families to decide what works best for them.

As a clinically managed medium-intensity licensed residential care community, we provide both biological and psychiatric care to young men struggling to overcome addiction. Our clients receive intensive care at our lodge and build a treatment plan that allows them to step back into society. We understand that recovery is a journey, and relapse is not a failure. Instead, it’s an indicator that we need to adjust the treatment plan or, perhaps, the level of care. Our goal is to help our clients eventually live among their family and friends in a normal world.

Understanding Addiction

Addiction is a challenging condition that comes with emotional baggage and stigma for the person of concern and the entire family. Therefore, we approach it with empathy. We work with every professional on the client’s home treatment team to understand what is best for the individual and how best to support the family in reaching their goal. At Triple Divide Lodge, we’re committed to building local resources for families to tap into and utilize back home. Our clients complete our program and transition to the next level with the motivation for recovery, an understanding of the 12 steps, an understanding of their addiction, and families that are ready to do the work.

If you’re considering the next steps in substance abuse treatment, we encourage you to ask yourself some questions. How do you allow your loved one to be responsible for their recovery while still being a parent? How do you not micromanage them? How do you protect them? How do you manage your emotions around it? How do you let go of some control? We understand that it’s a challenging journey, but with empathy, support, and the right resources, recovery is possible.

Hear From Parents Who’ve Taken This Journey

About Patrick, Executive Director and Founder of Triple Divide Lodge

Patrick Hawkins is a Licensed Addictions Counselor with over 25 years of experience. During his career, he has worked with over 5,000 young men in primary treatment. Since 1995, he has been dedicated to working with adolescents and young adults. With a national reputation, Patrick has presented at multiple conferences and is considered a leader in treating young men, especially in an outdoor/experiential type setting. He has led 50+ expeditions accumulating over 1,100 days in the backcountry guiding hundreds of clients on their journeys through the wilderness and into recovery. Patrick brings all this experience to the young men in treatment daily while also imparting it to the entire team.

AJ Frithiof

AJ Frithiof (pronounced Fritch-off) is a licensed clinical social worker and is the clinical director of Triple Divide Lodge. She began working with adolescents and young adults in 2006 and has held a variety of clinical and programming positions in residential and wilderness treatment settings. During her career, she has focused on working with clients with dual diagnoses.
AJ has extensive training and experience with clients with high-acuity mental health disorders, trauma, attachment injuries, and dual diagnosis. She believes in looking at addiction through an attachment-based lens. She supports clients in uncovering the root of their difficulties, detaching from their addictive substance, and finding healing through healthy relationships.