The Morton Center

When a parent abuses substances, there's almost this sense of broken trust that can happen with some kids and also fear that something bad will happen to either themselves or their parent. So it can be scary for them.

 Reminding kids that it's their job to have fun and to be a kid because so many of them were used to making sure that mom is awake, mom is okay, or dad. But remind them it's your job to be a kid, have fun, talk about your feelings, and you don't have to worry about the grown-ups.

 The Hope Group is a unique program in Louisville.

 Kristin said, “I've been using art and play interventions, and I'm building a unique curriculum for that group. Sometimes we do meditation just to let them get to that feeling of calm and finding a peaceful place within themselves can be beneficial.”

 Hope group is an hour long on Monday nights.

 “We use meditation and mindfulness. We teach them to notice their feelings and how not to react. We teach them different breathing techniques so they learn about square breathing and different meditations. They can do the five-finger meditation. And we usually incorporate art and play into it. I asked them if they were to visualize their different feelings, what would it look like? What color would it be? Would it be spiky? Or would it be a rounded shape? Is it small, or is it big? So just talking about emotions differently and having them draw what their feelings feel like and look like to them.”

 

“One little girl told me she called it feelings group,” Kristin said. “She told me, ‘I like coming to feelings group.’” Kristin continued, “Another little girl told me that she felt like she knew what she needed to ask for when she was feeling really big feelings. She knew what to ask for from her parents to get support or have space.”

 

 

Who We Are

The Morton Center is the region's only privately funded, non-profit facility treating chemical dependency and other addictions. Since its inception, The Morton Center has focused on the pervasive impact of substance abuse by providing education/prevention and using a treatment approach that includes the entire family and support system in the individual's treatment program. A recent study showed that persons experiencing at least 2 instances of family involvement during treatment are 3 times more likely to recover than those who have no family involvement. As the only outpatient treatment program in Kentucky with a focus on the entire family, The Morton Center is uniquely qualified to provide appropriate and thorough care to our clients. We serve approximately 1,400 persons annually and are funded entirely by private and corporate donations, charitable grants, and the income we receive from clients who can afford to pay for services. The mission of The Morton Center is to restore the health of individuals and families struggling with alcoholism and other addictions by providing specialized counseling and educational services.