Trainer
Brooke Monaco, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in treating substance use disorders and co-occurring issues including anxiety disorders, PTSD, and ADHD. Brooke has led various CMC:Foundation for Change trainings to intensively train parents and professionals in the Invitation to Change Model, including CRAFT and MI skills.
Brooke has experience working with individuals, groups, and families in a variety of clinical settings, including outpatient, residential, and clinical research settings at the VA San Diego and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. She has also been a group leader for the Family Connections program through NEA-BPD, using evidence-based strategies to support family members of individuals with borderline personality disorder. Brooke has served as the President and Treasurer of SMART Recovery San Diego as well as a group facilitator, promoting access to evidence-based supports for substance use disorders in the community.
Q&A
Get to know your trainer
It is critical to change the conversation around substance use disorders. Our society and pop culture is full of myths about substance use that perpetuate shame, stigma, and helplessness. In reality, family members can help; it’s not hopeless; and being kind and compassionate really matters.
During a weekend-long training, one parent was struggling through a challenging situation. On Sunday morning, she reported back to the group by telling us she had applied skills (communication, self-care, and setting limits) after only having learned about them the previous day. This was a reminder to me about how crucial the skills we teach are, and how useful they can be when dealing with the chronically stressful situation of having a child with a severe substance use issue.