For some parents, navigating the world of teens can be a mystery but this new program is helping families recognize and prevent signs of drug and alcohol abuse.
Spiritworks Foundation, a recovery community organization in Williamsburg, has started hosting the program Hidden in Plain Sight. It allows parents the chance to learn about certain behaviors and warning signs of substance abuse through an interactive experience.
“This is important because a lot of parents don’t know what the current trends are and don’t know to be concerned,” said Jan Brown, executive director of the Spiritworks Foundation. “It helps parents to be engaged in what’s going on with their children and hopefully prevent long-term problems.”
Parents have the opportunity during the program to walk through a mock teen room that is staged with various objects that give clues to substance abuse. But get this: the objects are everyday items that are literally hidden in plain sight. For example, the room can feature a peanut butter jar sitting on the desk that actually doubles as a safe or a computer mouse that is really a scale.
Brown said all of the items can be easily purchased bought online.
The program also teaches parents to recognize the ways in which certain clothing can signal drug use. Brown said there are certain clothing brands or the way a teen might wear their socks that signals drug use.
By participating in the exercise, parents have the opportunity to recognize ways that substance abuse is occurring out in the open.
“The idea is not about a parent going and tossing a child’s bedroom,” Brown said. “But rather it merits a conversation about why this is in their room.”
She said the room walk-through happens fairly quickly during the program because they want to give all participants the experience but also create something similar to as if they’re simply walking into a room like on a regular day.
Brown said there is also a presentation during the program that not only further describes ways to recognize substance abuse but also teaches parents how to talk to their children if they find concerning items.
When it comes to handling the subject of privacy between a child and a parent, Brown said the program teaches parents to be assertive.
“One of the big pieces we state is that if you’re living under your parents roof, you have no expectation of privacy and we help parents understand that,” she said. “So it’s really about engagement and the children knowing you really have no guarantee of complete privacy because you’re a child and the role as a parent is to raise you and keep you safe.”
So far, Spiritworks has hosted two programs in James City County and most recently in York County. The program has also already found community partners with the Williamsburg Police Department and the Historic Triangle Substance Abuse Coalition, she said.
Brown wants to continue spreading the message of the program because she said there’s a real need in the community.
“One thing we know is that [teen substance abuse] happens here,” she said. “We’ve been very quick to engage community partners, parents have been quickly engaged and when we go to drug stores, they know what items we are looking for. None of that would be true if it weren’t a problem in this area.”
The program is free and open to the public with a limit of 30 guests per event. Brown said there is not currently a date set for the next session but the Foundation plans to announce one in the near future.
For more information, visit Spiritworks Foundation online.
