Friends and Family

Friends and family play a vital role in supporting attendees during their program.

If you are a family member or support person, thank you for your help. Here are a few things you can do that will make a big difference.

• Program participants want to know that the changes they are undertaking are being noticed and appreciated, especially given how hard change can be. Words of encouragement and support through phone calls, letters and visits can make a huge impact while participating in a program. 
• One of the key things that participants learn is different ways to talk about themselves and their emotions, and different ways to act/behave. One of the best ways you can support your loved one is allowing them the space to practice these skills with you. 
• Ask them questions about their program. Speaking about what they have learned can build healthy bonds between you that may make the journey ahead easier for everyone.
• During this process of change your loved one may experience lapses. A lapse is a short-term return to old patterns of behaviour (e.g. using aggression to solve/avoid problems, increased drinking), that stops again quickly, but the person is still motivated to change or improve. During such times you can play a key role in encouraging them to keep trying, letting them know this is normal and that you remain available for support. We also encourage you to share the changes you notice in your loved one with other friends and family members 

If the person you know is doing a program in the community:

• Remind them it is important to attend their program
• Encourage them to prepare for their program
• Help them get to a program

If the person you know is doing a program in custody:

• If they slip up in the program , there will be consequences for their actions. This is a part of being in prison. Your continued support can help your loved one pick up and try again. 
• Please help us keep contraband out of our gaols. It may seem helpful at the time, however contraband, especially drugs, can pose serious health and safety risks and can cause your loved one to stop progressing in the program. They can also face serious penalties that will stop or reverse their progression in classification. Help others to understand how unhelpful and dangerous behaviours like this can be for your loved one in gaol.
• Many participants will still struggle with feelings of shame and guilt. There are many fears and anxieties they may have about coming home. Discuss these with your loved one and discuss the goals and plans they have made during the program. You can remind them of these during difficult times.