About Us

Our Mission

CMC:Foundation for Change is dedicated to providing evidence-based tools for change to everyone who cares about a person struggling with substance use. We have taken the best science has to offer and translated it into a practical, compassionate, and accessible approach for helping called the Invitation to Change (ITC). Through training, support groups and community infrastructure building, we use the ITC to help family, friends, treatment providers, and community leaders have an impact on the terrible toll taken by substance use.

Overview

Nearly 25 million Americans suffer from a substance use disorder. While that is a devastatingly large number, it does not include the more than 60 million family members who also face the consequences of their loved ones’ struggles: financial burden, loss of productivity, strained relationships, physical stress, emotional turmoil, and more.

The vast majority of these families navigate their pain alone, without access to strategies that could help them support their loved ones and themselves—even though these strategies exist! Unfortunately, much of the advice they get is antiquated and punitive: “use tough love,” “detach,” “let them hit rock bottom.”

These ideas are hard on the heart, and most important: they don’t work.

Our Invitation to Change Approach® (ITC) is full of techniques that do work—with an enormous amount of research to back them up. In place of the stigmatizing understandings of addiction that are so common and so harmful, the ITC responds to substance use with evidence-based methods for improving communication, strengthening motivation to reduce or stop using substances, and practicing compassion and self-care to create the conditions for change.

Training families, lay people and professionals in the ITC is the core of what we do at CMC:Foundation for Change. We have taken evidence-based ideas for helping those who struggle with substance use problems and put them together in a way that lay people (family, friends, first responders, educators, faith-based leaders) and health professionals of all kinds (nurses, doctors, therapists and recovery coaches) can understand and use in their efforts to help. The ITC is user-friendly, jargon-free, and can be used by family, friends, and anyone else in a helping role.

To learn more about ITC, visit Our Approach page

Our Impact

80
Trainings Completed
940
People Trained
States/Provinces Reached

We envision a world where...

  • People feel empowered to help their struggling loved ones.
  • Anyone can access evidence-based, compassionate tools that encourage change.
  • There is no stigma around getting help for substance use struggles.
  • Evidence-based practices are common-use, and addiction treatment is viewed the same as any other medical or mental health issue.

Our work is grounded in...

  • A knowledge of the unique position and power of families and parents in helping their loved ones.
  • A conviction that we can help in ways that are positive, connected and supported by science.
  • A belief in the importance of reducing stigma and fear.
  • A dedication to science and kindness.

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Learn about Our Approach

Trainings