We often hear the “maybe ifs” and “what ifs” from peers who have, or had, a parent struggling with substance use & incarceration. Some remember believing it is their fault, a belief that grows as they do. Some are quietly grateful when their parent went to prison, told it was a place for getting better, and trusting they will. But as we grow and learn and start to listen to our inner voices, the questions shift. We begin to wonder: what would have been different if support h

Initially when we started working on the Children's Rights Toolkit at Starlings, I was very excited, and I'm thrilled with how the toolkit came together.  But in between those moments, I couldn't help but read the United Nations Convention on the Rights of A Child and feel deeply sad. As a young adult, still considered a youth in Canada, I am grieving the fact that, for a long time, my rights and those of my parents were taken away or not supported. And it's time for change. 

Today, we invite each of us to challenge our own biases towards people with a SUD, while considering how our beliefs may contribute to the l

n a way, it felt like I lost him twice: once through his addiction, and again when he physically left this world.

Stigma has a perverse effect of silencing. It creates taboos and results in issues not being addressed. Stigma renders some people and...

Watching a parent go through alcohol withdrawal is a frightening and often isolating experience not talked about.