The History and Future of HelpingFamiliesHelp.com

The Past
2012: The Beginning

The website HelpingFamiliesHelp.com was originally called SoberFamilies.com. Soberfamilies.com was created in 2012 by Portland Psychotherapy—a clinic, research, and training center in North Portland that is well known for its highly knowledgeable and compassionate client care, strong dedication to evidence-based practice, and commitment to research and training. Read more about the past contributors from Portland Psychotherapy below.

2018: Change

In November of 2018, Portland Psychotherapy gave the SoberFamilies.com website to Cordelia Kraus (that’s me). We had the site redesigned and ported over from the web management company Portland Psychotherapy had used into Squarespace over the next few months into early 2019, so that I could manage it on my own.

I took on the site with the hope that the incredible body of work that Portland Psychotherapy had started could continue to:

• offer families hope and effective skills for change in the presence of addiction while increasing their investment in their own lives

• increase awareness of the options available in responding to an addicted loved one.

Additionally, at that time there were future hopes that this website could:

• create a network of clinicians in the Pacific Northwest who are trained and experienced in the CRAFT approach

• encourage and support other clinicians in becoming knowledgeable and trained in this highly effective approach.

2019: Gather

The provider network email group was added in August of 2019 as a way to start bringing CRAFT-based providers together.

2020: Pandemic

I had started a separate in-person CRAFT-based provider consult group in Portland, OR in 2018… this moved online during the pandemic and would eventually become the Last Tuesday Consult group.

2021: Provider Directory & SIG

The CRAFT-based resource page for families was redone in 2021 and a Provider Directory was added through Community Box. The Spanish-speaking subgroup “Comunidad de Proveedores” was created in April 2021 and gives a space for Spanish-speaking providers to connect. This was our first special interest group (SIG).

October 2021, Carey Rinke jumped on board to help me answer emails from family members…. and I continue to be grateful for the incredible care and guidance she offers in pointing family members towards CRAFT-based resources and providers.

2022: Renaming

Sober Families was renamed to Helping Families Help in the beginning of 2022. Click here to read more about that decision.

Ways for providers to post their trainings, events and groups for both families and providers was added in 2022 and I started a Patreon account in an attempt to support the costs of the site.

The first “Newerish Group” was held in August of that year, giving the space for those who were new to CRAFT a place to hang out, gather, connect, and ask questions.

While I do most of the work on the website, the site got a major overhaul to Squarespace 7.1, an intense process which spanned November 2022 through March 2023 and included a the hiring of web design agency.

2023: Growth

In February 2023 the Psychosis SIG was started when a group of HFHPN providers decided to go through a Psychosis REACH training together and provide a space of discussion and support to each other in the process.

In April 2023 I started writing the monthly Family Events Newsletter, sending summaries of the new groups and events submitted by members of the HFHPN to email subscribers at the beginning of every month.

Research into potential membership systems for providers started in mid-2023 as another way to help support the time and costs of the site. And In November, the brilliant Lara Okoloko requested a SIG be created for those MI providers who are both members of MINT and provide CRAFT-based services.

The Present(ish)

As of January 2024 there are now over 325 providers who are a part of the Helping Families Help Provider Network (HFHPN). We are at the tail end of designing the new Membership System and Directory and hope to get that fully up and running by the end of January.

The newsletter has been well received, with anywhere between 80 to 120+ family members a month clicking through the links to check out the groups and events featured in them.

Both the mostly-monthly “Newerish” group and the monthly Last Tuesday consult group for providers are well attended; I very much appreciate this kind provider community that consistently supports each other in exploration and rich discussion of CRAFT-based concepts and concerns.

As of March 2024, HFHPN is switching over to a new Directory, and a new Membership Program through Membership Works. This more structured system will help support the site financially in a more sustainable way.

The Future

At some point I hope to make HFH a non-profit so that the work can be financially supported more sustainably, and yet ambivalence arises when thinking about the layer of administration that adds. That said, it will make more sense to run this as a non-profit in the long run… so… eventually… that’s where we’re headed. Maybe.

I’d love to offer blog post for families that offer more CRAFT-based skills and perspectives, at least once a month, ideally with contributions from the incredible providers that make up the HFHPN community.

I strongly believe that the provider community would benefit from increased connection and interaction and I would love to start focusing my efforts there more, including reaching out to other CRAFT-based providers who aren’t yet a part of HFHPN to invite them to join. I can see the possibility for more networking opportunities, discussions, panels, trainings, consult groups, book clubs…. there are so many ways for us to learn from each other, support each other, point towards each other and lift each other up in this work!

I also want to help increase access to CRAFT-based approaches for communities that have been marginalized, including amplifying safer spaces for families and providers who have been disempowered and supporting greater access to the work through languages other than English. This might look like advocacy, amplification of other providers work, and ongoing collaborations within the HFHPN… I cannot see specifics yet, but it is very much on my mind.

At the time of its creation, SoberFamilies.com had multiple contributors who poured their time, expertise, and commitment towards effective change into these webpages. Several of these amazing clinicians have since moved on to other pursuits, however I am incredibly grateful to them not only for their past creation of and contributions to this site but also for their ongoing support and encouragement. Thank you.

Jason Luoma, Ph.D.

Dr. Jason Luoma is a Licensed Psychologist in Oregon who has been researching addiction and ways to help people with addiction for over a decade and is one of the world’s leading experts on the stigma of addiction. He is interested in finding ways to help people with addiction in a manner that is nonjudgmental, positive, and supportive. He provides training to therapists around the world on evidence-based approaches to therapy and addiction.

Dr. Luoma is the clinical and scientific director of Portland Psychotherapy, and lead the original team of experts that created Sober Families.

Scott Rower, Ph.D.

Dr. Scott Rower has a private practice in Hood River where he specializes in working with people with anxiety and trauma and teaches courses on learning mindfulness.

Dr. Rower significantly contributed to the blogs and 10-week email course during the time that he was involved with Sober Families.

Christeine Terry, Ph.D.

Dr. Christeine Terry specializes in the treatment of addictions and co-occurring disorders (i.e., co-existing addictions and other mental health conditions). She uses evidence-based therapies, as well as the CRAFT approach, with a diverse range of people with addiction and their families.

During Dr. Terry’s time at Portland Psychotherapy she was Lead Trainer and the main content expert and writer for Sober Families. She continues to use CRAFT in her private practice in Seattle, Washington and remains connected with Sober Families as a recommended clinician and current contributor.

Jessi Frothingham

Jessi Frothingham is a certified CRAFT clinician however has moved on from providing direct care to clients and currently puts her talents to use coordinating programs for a county mental health system of care.