Mandatory Training Session
  • Friday 2/7 5:30 - 9:00 PM
  • Saturday 2/8 - 8:30 - 5:00 PM
  • Sunday 2/9 - 8:30 - 5:00 PM
Location: National Children's Advocacy Center
205 Pratt Avenue, Huntsville 35801
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"I wish I would have found this program years ago. It's so isolating when you can't talk to anyone -- no one in my life is going through this -- and my Parent Coach was an amazing resource."
 Parent Coaching participant

Parent/Family Coach Training Information 
(Application Below)

Not One More Alabama, in partnership with the Center on Addiction/Partnership for Drugfree & The Center for Motivation and Change Foundation for Change, will be bringing Parent Coaching to Alabama.  The experience that a parent who has had children who have struggled with substance use issues brings is invaluable for parents who are currently going through that struggle and are looking for support.  NOMA will be selecting motivated parents or family members, all impacted by their child or loved one's substance use, for a weekend intensive training to become Volunteer Parent Coaches.  

Parents and family members will receive free, specialized training using the evidence-based approaches of CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training), MI (Motivational Interviewing) and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). The training is conducted by expert, PhD-level clinical staff from the Center for Motivation and Change, an experienced parent coach ‘mentor’ and professional staff members from the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids.

This is an amazing opportunity to be part of an innovative Peer-to-Peer Parent Coaching Network.  You will be able to learn from leaders in the industry the skills and tools necessary to take your personal experience and combine it with training in evidenced-based techniques to prepare you to help others.   You will also be able to utilize these skills on a local level in our community and throughout the state to support those impacted by addiction.  Only 20 people from Alabama will be able to participate in this training.  

What do our Parent/Family Coaches do?
​All of our Parent Coaches are volunteers who have been personally affected by a family member’s – usually a child’s – substance use. Some have children in recovery; some have lost children; and some have children who are relapsed or are actively using. All of them have been there.
Parent Coaches are there for our parents and families to listen with empathy, support them as they problem-solve and to guide them through ideas that may be helpful to their family’s situation.  

Once trained, NOMA Parent Coaches will volunteer as Parent Coaches for the Partnership for Drugfree for a minimum of 6 months, providing one-on-one support to other parents through personalized guidance over the phone. Parent coaches also participate in bi-weekly training and support calls to discuss current cases, challenges and review key points from the weekend-long training.

In addition to the phone coaching, NOMA Parent/Family coaches will be asked to select 1 or 2 areas that they would like to focus on for local coaching in our community/state.  Using the extensive training the Parent Coach has received, they will be able to apply these skills to coach on a local level in areas including grief coaching, prevention coaching, treatment navigation coaching, and general support of those who have been impacted by addiction and substance use disorders.  Parent Coaches will be asked to commit to a minimum of an additional year as a volunteer Parent Coach for NOMA making for a total commitment of 18 months.  Of course, you can continue as a Coach Volunteer as long as you would like to!!!

FAQ:
Who can be a Parent/Family Coach?
If you’ve been personally affected by your son’s or daughter’s substance use and you’re at a place where you’re ready to share your time and wisdom with other parents and families, we invite you to become a Parent Coach. You are not required nor expected to have a professional background in substance use or counseling.  Coaches are parents or family members who have a loved one in recovery, have a loved one currently using substances,  have a loved one incarcerated related to the substance use or may have lost a loved one to the disease of addiction.

Is There a Cost to me for the Training?
Not One More Alabama is covering the cost for the training of the Parent Coaches selected to participate in this program.  Your meals during the training will be covered along with all materials.  In return for this investment in you, we ask for your time serving as a volunteer parent coach for NOMA and the Partnership for Drugfree.

Can I still apply if I did not attend a Parent Coaching Information Session?
Yes!  We encourage anyone interested in Coaching to apply.  The Information Sessions were available to provide more details about the program but not required to participate.

Do I have to live in Huntsville to be a parent coach?  Do I have to live in Alabama?
NOMA will be selecting coaches for this program from the Tennessee Valley area that will be able to use the coaching skills on a local level at various events.  NOMA will also consider a limited number of potential coaches from other parts of the state to help us share this program with all residents of the state of Alabama.  You do need to live in the state of Alabama.  We will not be training residents from other states.

What if I cannot attend the Mandatory Training Feb 7 - 9 or I can only attend part of the training?
Attending the training program in its entirety is required to participate in the Parent Coaching Program.  We are sorry, but if you are unable to attend the February 7-9 training program, you will not be eligible to be considered for the Parent Coach Program at this time.  We are hoping to offer this again in the future and would love for you to join us then!

If I complete the application and can attend the training, does that mean I will be selected for the Parent Coach Program?
We are limited to 15-20 Parent Coaches to attend this training.  As a result, if we have more applications than spots in the training, we will have to select the individuals that we believe will be able to fullfill the obligations of this volunteer role best at this time.  If needed, we will conduct interviews prior to making this selection.  You will be informed if this step is needed.  

Please watch this short video about the Parent Coaching Program to learn more about the program...

To Apply:  

To apply to be a NOMA Parent/Family Coach complete the application below OR click on the button below for a link to the application (you do not need to do both...it is the same application)