F.A.S.T.E.R.

Families Advocating for Substance Treatment Education & Recovery

SUPPORT GROUPS FOR PARENTS

F.A.S.T.E.R. groups are:

Free/Confidential/Made up of peers/Respectful of others’ views/Accepting of chemical dependency as a treatable disease of the brain/Always hopeful

Are you concerned with your teen/young adult’s use of alcohol or other drugs?

Free support groups consist of parents and caregivers discussing issues associated with children, teens and young adults affected by alcohol and/or other drugs.

Groups are led by trained facilitators, who use a nationally recognized model and who have experience with family issues related to chemical dependency. Facilitators help connect group members with resources.

Learning from and sharing with peers in a confidential setting helps parents and caregivers improve their coping skills. For specific dates and times in your community, or to start a FASTER group, please contact:

Janis Lilly: fasternewhampshire@gmail.com

MEETINGS

Concord/BowFor more information: fasterconcord@gmail.com

Gilmanton/LaconiaFor more information:Nancy (603) 267-6769

Email: fasternewhampshire@gmail.com

2nd & 4th Thursday of the month, 7:30-9:00pm

Seabrook/Hampton Seacoast Youth Services 867 Lafayette Rd., Seabrook

For more information:

Charles (978) 423-1222

Email: fasternewhampshire@gmail.com

3rd Thursday of the month 6:00-7:00pm

Manchester Child and Family Services464 Chestnut St, Manchester

Contact: Susan (603)668-4859

Email: fastermanchester@gmail.com

Every Tuesdays 6:00-7:30pm

Claremont

Dionne Family Chiropractic

251 Elm St, Claremont

2nd Thursday of the month, 6-7pm

For more information: fasterclaremont@gmail.com

Portsmouth Community Campus100 Campus Drive,Portsmouth

Contact: Timothea (603) 498-1226

Email: fasternewhampshire@gmail.com

1st Thursday of month 6:00-7:30

Hillsboro

Project Genesis

61 East Main St, Hillsboro

Tuesdays, 630-730pm

For more information: fasterhillsboro@gmail.com

Derry/LondonderryAvery Center126 Pillsbury Rd., Londonderry

Contact: Sue (603) 475-1473

2nd and 4th Monday of the month 7:00-8:30

New London

For more information: fasternewlondon@gmail.com

Meeting times and dates are subject to change. Please contact the area facilitator for information especially if attending for the first time.

From Program Coordinator Janis Lilly:

July, 2011 – F.A.S.T.E.R. (Families Advocating Substance Treatment Education &

Recovery) is a Statewide Project of Friends of Recovery New Hampshire

(FOR-NH) providing free parent peer support groups for parents and

family members who have children, teens or young adults who have or

are using drugs and alcohol. By giving a voice to families struggling

with the behavioral issues associated with chemical dependency

disorders, FASTER/FOR-NH strives to eliminate the stigma associated

with this disease, support families along their journey toward

long-term recovery and advocate for positive policy change and more

resources with which to sustain recovery.

Since July of 2011 there have been many improvements and many

new roads forged. When I was hired in July many of the groups had been

without support for a number of months. Outreach and education of past

program direction really informed those first few months. Currently we

are operating FASTER groups in Concord, Portsmouth. Seabrook,

Wolfboro, Manchester, Gilmanton. Only one group, Atkinson, closed in

August. The remaining six groups have have welcome dozens of families

and these 6 groups have had over 490 visits since July. We feel that

this number shows just how much support New Hampshire’s families need

and what a unique space we occupy in the community.

We have blanketed the state with our fliers and business cards,

put many miles on New Hampshire’s highways and back roads and

sometimes found ourselves the only voice for parents and families that

have been personally impacted by adolescent substance use and/or

addiction.

Always at these meetings I find someone will silently hover

until the crowds disperse or charge over finger raised and they all

say “Oh thank GOD! We’ve been looking for a group like yours” and tell

me about their own families struggles, or the struggles of their

clients families. Recognizing this common chorus of need FASTER was

able to train 8 new parents leaders this Spring representing Derry,

Manchester, Canaan, Dover and Claremont and look forward to starting 6

new FASTER groups by the end of 2011.

It has been a wonderful year for FASTER and its families. We

have provided many opportunities for parents and caregivers to learn

and share with peers so they may find a place to feel safe sharing

their experiences, a place to learn to improve their coping skills, a

place to learn more about the disease of addiction and recovery, and a

place to find hope.

Funding for FASTER provided by the NH Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services

F.A.S.T.E.R.

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F.A.S.T.E.R.

Families Advocating for Substance Treatment Education & Recovery

Free/Confidential/Made up of peers/Respectful of others’ views/Accepting of chemical dependency as a treatable disease of the brain/Always hopeful

Are you concerned with your teen/young adult’s use of alcohol or other drugs?

Free support groups consist of parents and caregivers discussing issues associated with children, teens and young adults affected by alcohol and/or other drugs.

Groups are led by trained facilitators, who use a nationally recognized model and who have experience with family issues related to chemical dependency. Facilitators help connect group members with resources.

Learning from and sharing with peers in a confidential setting helps parents and caregivers improve their coping skills. For specific dates and times in your community, or to start a FASTER group, please contact:

Janis Lilly: fasternewhampshire@gmail.com

MEETINGS

From Program Coordinator Janis Lilly:

July, 2011 – F.A.S.T.E.R. (Families Advocating Substance Treatment Education &

Recovery) is a Statewide Project of Friends of Recovery New Hampshire

(FOR-NH) providing free parent peer support groups for parents and

family members who have children, teens or young adults who have or

are using drugs and alcohol. By giving a voice to families struggling

with the behavioral issues associated with chemical dependency

disorders, FASTER/FOR-NH strives to eliminate the stigma associated

with this disease, support families along their journey toward

long-term recovery and advocate for positive policy change and more

resources with which to sustain recovery.

Since July of 2011 there have been many improvements and many

new roads forged. When I was hired in July many of the groups had been

without support for a number of months. Outreach and education of past

program direction really informed those first few months. Currently we

are operating FASTER groups in Concord, Portsmouth. Seabrook,

Wolfboro, Manchester, Gilmanton. Only one group, Atkinson, closed in

August. The remaining six groups have have welcome dozens of families

and these 6 groups have had over 490 visits since July. We feel that

this number shows just how much support New Hampshire’s families need

and what a unique space we occupy in the community.

We have blanketed the state with our fliers and business cards,

put many miles on New Hampshire’s highways and back roads and

sometimes found ourselves the only voice for parents and families that

have been personally impacted by adolescent substance use and/or

addiction.

Always at these meetings I find someone will silently hover

until the crowds disperse or charge over finger raised and they all

say “Oh thank GOD! We’ve been looking for a group like yours” and tell

me about their own families struggles, or the struggles of their

clients families. Recognizing this common chorus of need FASTER was

able to train 8 new parents leaders this Spring representing Derry,

Manchester, Canaan, Dover and Claremont and look forward to starting 6

new FASTER groups by the end of 2011.

It has been a wonderful year for FASTER and its families. We

have provided many opportunities for parents and caregivers to learn

and share with peers so they may find a place to feel safe sharing

their experiences, a place to learn to improve their coping skills, a

place to learn more about the disease of addiction and recovery, and a

place to find hope.