The Male Family Reunification Initiative is now eight years old. Through this program, we continue to work with men who wish to reunify with their children and with their nuclear families, and continue to help them in co-parenting issues with ex-wives or ex-partners. We have also worked frequently with men who have experienced trauma in their lives, such as abuse and neglect when they were children, as well as many traumatic events as they grew older. We continue to work with men and their families when violence or anger or power and control issues have been part of the person's life, as these issues also make recovery from chemical dependency challenging.

Our work with men who are dually diagnosed continues to grow as we work with men who have anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and other mental health issues. Problems with medications, helping family members and significant others understand and accept the dual disorder, and developing relapse prevention and coping skills are important parts of treatment.

Job, career, and education concerns are often treatment issues, as many of the people we work with have few skills and a poor work history. Many of our clients have identified skills they can build on, completed GED work, and have stated goals of continuing with their education or job training. A recent graduate of our program has completed several classes at College of DuPage . Some of our clients have worked with community agencies and received computer training to further their job and education goals.

One reason a man becomes involved in the Male Family Reunification Initiative is that there is an identified need for additional services due to the trauma of abusive or neglectful parents, traumatic life events, or the long term after effects of domestic violence. One example of the importance of addressing trauma is part of this story. A gentleman began to work with us who reported lifelong problems with his relationship with his father. With focused trauma work, we were able to greatly reduce the impact of longstanding negative beliefs. The client was able to face his problems with more strength, truly see the good parts of his character and build on those, and has begun to live the new role of the sober, responsible, and assertive man that he always hoped
to be.

The Male Family Reunification Initiative team works closely with the Extended Residential Care Program Manager and Counselors and the Independent Living Treatment counselor in coordinating these issues and more, in a treatment setting which always keeps a healthy focus on sobriety and recovery. Our clients who are fathers report tackling difficulties in reconnecting with their children, developing ways to talk with the mothers of their children, and the joy of being involved with their sons and daughters.