In “The Help Families Need to Overcome Substance Dependence,” Stacy Phillips draws on her personal experience as a mother and former child welfare worker to challenge how society responds to addiction. Far from being an individual struggle, substance dependence fractures entire families — especially children — and too often leads to judgment, stigma, and destabilizing interventions rather than compassionate support. Phillips argues for a shift toward family-centered recovery, including the use of peer recovery coaches and systemic reforms that keep families intact and supported through the trauma of addiction. Her powerful call to reimagine treatment and child welfare policy highlights the urgent need for empathy, understanding, and shared healing on the road to lasting recovery.
