Helping Men Recover
Coming January 2011 from Jossey Bass publishing…
Drawing from the pioneering work of Dr. Stephanie Covington, the authors provide the first comprehensive and holistic focus on men’s needs and issues in recovery from addictions. The purpose of this curriculum, which is a package consisting of a Facilitator Guide and a Participant Journal, is to offer a curriculum-based approach to addressing men’s issues in addiction treatment and recovery. Current treatment models and theories fail to adequately consider the relational needs of men; provide a clear understanding of the impact of the socialization process on men; fall short of adequately addressing the impact of abuse and trauma that is so strongly linked with addiction and the life of the male addict; often ignore any social context and/or the consequences of political, social, and economic power; and provide little direction in helping men to establish a healthy sense of self outside of prevailing masculine scripts. The curriculum incorporates trauma-informed practices to help facilitators and clients comprehend and appreciate the pervasive nature and impact of trauma. Clients and treatment providers will understand trauma as a defining and organizing experience that forms a recovering person’s sense of self and others.
The curriculum for Helping Men Recover has four modules and 18 sessions. The four modules – Self, Relationships, Sexuality, and Spirtuality – emphasize the four core areas of men’s recovery. The sessions look at the tension between male socialization and the principles of recovery and does not avoid the critical issues – such as abusiveness and violence, relationships with father and mother, homophobia, pornography, conflict resolution and communication, and dealing with grief. The curriculum is contained in the Facilitators’ Guide and contains a structured step-by-step program for working with men’s treatment issues while addressing the areas of concern that continue to challenge men long into their recovery. The Participant Journal is designed to function as a tool to aid in the facilitation of the curriculum and to enrich the personal experience of the men who are attending the group.
Helping Men Recover helps men find the words to speak about their experiences as men and offer them support and inspiration in their recovery. It will give men confidence that they are not alone in the questions they have about their masculinity and who they are as men. The authors are convinced: men’s chances of achieving long-term recovery will improve dramatically when men have a safe place where they can talk about their various questions, concerns, challenges, and joys of being men trying to live in this world.
If you are interested in setting up training for your organization or learning more about the curriculum, please contact Dan at: dangriffinmn@gmail.com.
