For Parents, From Parents

Watching your child battle substance use or self-destructive behavior is overwhelming. While there are no easy answers, you don’t have to carry the weight alone. FullCircle brings parents together to find support, strength, and practical tools to move forward—rooted in the 12-Step model and a higher power of your own understanding. Please review this information to get started.

FullCircle is a fit for your family if:

Your teen/young adult is dabbling in or struggling with mind-altering substances or other destructive behaviors.

You’re looking for consistent, community-based support alongside practical tools at home.

You want help that is no-cost, long-term, and grounded in peer connection.

Full Circle has been a lifeline for our family. The staff of peer support mentors and the program foster authenticity, joy, and self-improvement—creating a safe and compassionate and family healing environment. Full Circle helped our son find joy in sobriety, & also has given us hope, tools, and community as parents.

Chris S (parent)

Get started in 3 quick steps

1. Reach out. Call, text, or email. We’ll listen first.

2. Get oriented. A short conversation covers your situation, what FullCircle is, and immediate next steps.

3. Show up. We’ll share when/where to plug in and how you can start getting support this week.

Find a FullCircle Location Near You

What to expect from us

Peer connection with people who truly understand
Practical tools for communication, boundaries, and accountability at home
Consistency and encouragement week after week
Optional coordination with schools, therapists, or community resources
No cost to families

What’s in our scope?

We are a no-cost, peer-driven, 12 Step–based community for young people and families.
We aren’t a medical clinic, detox, or residential treatment center. We’ll help you find those services if needed and stay connected before, during, and after.

Learn more about sober social events

Thanks to the strength, love, and support of this group, and their amazing staff members, my son has been able to dedicate himself to his sobriety. He is currently 16 months sober. I searched for years for ways to get my son help. Without FullCircle I truly don’t believe my son would’ve been able to celebrate his 18th birthday and be living a healthy, productive life
he can be proud of today.

Tiffany W., Parent

Over 2.5 years ago our daughter brought us to the FullCircle program. The program has had a profoundly positive impact on our family. Just as our two young adults work their recovery in this enthusiastic sobriety program, I too am working the program as a parent of young adults in recovery. It is through the love of the parent support group, staff, and my sponsor that I am learning the tools to communicate better, set boundaries, and show up in the most loving way possible for my family and myself. The FullCircle program has transformed our lives and is family for life!

Kristen F., Parent

I’m an only parent who was failing at managing my daughter’s sobriety. I felt ashamed, like
I was failing at the most important job. FullCircle provided my daughter with love and sober options in a refreshing way, but equally important, it gave me love, acceptance, and the tools to take care of myself so I can model healthy boundaries and choices to both my
children.

Danny J., Parent

The importance of parent involvement

Parental involvement is a requirement, this is due to it being integral to The FullCircle Program as it plays a pivotal role in a young person’s growth and participation. This is because young individuals often struggle with accountability, honesty and ownership, particularly in early stages of recovery. The FullCircle Program believes in collaborating with families to best support the young person in achieving long term sobriety. By collaborating with the parents’ and their knowledge and understanding of their child, coupled with providing tools, experience, and hope through the parent support group; The FullCircle Program aims to facilitate the restoration of the family unit. Through our experience, we have learned that years of dishonesty and negative behavior can damage the family dynamic, and our goal is to help mend and strengthen it.

Learn more about parent support groups

Parent Sponsors

Support from a sponsor plays a vital role in the journey of recovery, particularly for parents seeking guidance and insights. Embracing the principles of the 12 Steps offers parents an opportunity for personal growth, enabling them to navigate their emotions and address challenges related to their children’s behavior. Making the decision to work the 12 Steps also models the behavior for your young person. It becomes important to the young person to work the 12 Steps as well. It is advantageous to have a close and available support person as we begin to learn how to adapt to the recovery process of our children and as we begin to deal with our own personal issues as they relate to the recovery program. You will be able to select a sponsor from the recovery group, as a sponsor is a very personal choice, and will be someone that you will be able to talk with freely and confidentially. A sponsor is someone we contact with questions, get information from, and work the 12 Steps with. Working the steps does not mean that every tiny element of our lives will be examined by someone else, nor does it require a full-time commitment.
For more information, please see our parent handbook or speak with a staff member or a member of our parent steering committee about sponsorship.

Learn more about sober social events

Parent Service Positions

Service positions are a crucial part of the recovery process because they allow parents the ability to give back to the community and share their experience, hope and understanding with others within the parent support group. Within the parent support group there are many ways to get involved, one of them being our parent steering committee. “Parent Steering” is a group of parents who have worked the 12 Steps and have a desire to give back through leading meetings, sponsorship and through modeling the principles of the 12 Steps. If you have questions about opportunities to be of service or ways to get involved at The FullCircle Program, please reach out to one of the staff or to the Parent Steering Committee.

Learn more about parent support groups

Family Events

We regularly host family events throughout the year, that aren’t required as part of the 90 day commitment, but we strongly recommend attending these events; because they provide parents an opportunity to build strong connections within the parent support group, to get involved with The FullCircle Program, and to help other families.

What we simply call “Coffee” is an after-meeting time for fellowship, both for the young people in our program and parents. It provides an opportunity for families to share outside of the meeting, develop relationships within the community, and have the space and time to heal and laugh with one another. These connections serve as a support system in the recovery community.

Learn more about sober social events

Graduation

Graduation at FullCircle is a milestone celebrated when someone has been in the program longer than 18 months. They can choose to graduate then, or wait longer if need be. Staff and parents discuss and help young people make a decision. Graduation signifies readiness to live life without the accountability the support group provides and with integrity, responsibility, and connection. To graduate, young people must meet these requirements:

Completion of attendance at 90 meetings in 90 days.
Attendance at all graduation meetings throughout the three months prior to their graduation.
Actively working a program of recovery
Demonstrated growth in their personal life outside of recovery, such as in work or school
Completion of service work and involvement in service outside of The FullCircle Program.

Learn more about parent support groups

Do parents have to participate?

Parental involvement is a requirement. Parent involvement accelerates change at home and in recovery.

Do we need health insurance?

No. FullCircle is no-cost.

Is FullCircle faith-based?

We use a 12-Step approach with a higher power of your own understanding.

What if my teenager or young adult won’t come to FullCircle?

You can start anyway. Parents often come first, learn tools, and set healthy boundaries—then invite their young person to join when ready. We’ll help you with what to say, how to set limits without shaming, and how to keep the door open.

What should I do when crisis or relapse hits?

If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. For urgent emotional support, use a crisis line in your area. FullCircle is a peer-driven community, not a medical or residential program—we can coordinate with providers and offer referrals when more intensive care is needed.
What if there’s relapse? We respond with honesty, accountability, and next steps—not shame.

How does FullCircle help ensure a young person is making progress?

The primary challenge for young people isn’t finding a group because supportive individuals can be found in various settings. Instead, the real challenge lies in learning to manage emotions and overcome negative feelings and behaviors. The FullCircle program aims to equip young people with the necessary tools for recovery, emphasizing accountability, honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness.
Participants seek support, mentorship, and guidance from peers and staff with long-term recovery experience, fostering a community dedicated to spiritual growth and personal responsibility.
On the flip side, young people who do not effectively engage in the recovery process often end up misusing the support group, prioritizing short term pleasure and avoiding consequences rather than committing to genuine recovery endeavors. They may struggle to accept accountability for their actions,
misinterpret parental guidance, and lack full engagement. Rather than recognizing the support group as a catalyst for personal growth, they may perceive it solely as a social group. These individuals risk potentially negative outcomes, such as disengaging from the support group or developing an unhealthy
relationship with it.
As a staff, we work diligently to mitigate the risks by determining early in a young person’s involvement whether or not they are serious about following through on the recovery process. Our goal is to guide them towards a deeper understanding and effective utilization of the support group. While it’s common for newcomers to initially be drawn to the group dynamic, our track record showcases significant success in steering young individuals towards proactive measures for personal development to ensure they utilize the program appropriately. If they are not serious about making positive changes, the best option is frequently to refer them to a higher level of care that can meet their therapeutic needs more effectively.

How does FullCircle communicate with parents?

A parent newsletter is sent once a week. It includes details about upcoming events, a link to the Parent Handbook, a suggested reading list, and much more.

The FullCircle mobile app is available for parents and youth participants. It allows them to complete paperwork and surveys that provide real-time insight into the needs and experiences of the youth and families we serve. By tracking this information, we can measure impact, identify areas for growth, and continuously
strengthen and advance our mission.

How does FullCircle address nicotine use?

FullCircle believes that smoking/vaping is a habit with no redeeming qualities. However, when a young person is struggling with one or more risky behaviors and already has been using nicotine prior to their involvement, we have chosen not to fight that battle. However, FullCircle is not naive to the risks of exposure, and we do not want our youth participants to pick up a new habit. Our staff will initiate a family meeting to discuss the behavior.

How does FullCircle address medication?

The FullCircle Program is not therapy, nor are we a treatment program. However, because we provide support to people struggling with substance use, we ask that everyone be upfront with our staff about their young person’s prescription medication. This enables us to provide the most appropriate support for all of the young people in our program.

What do I need to know about FullCircle events?

We have three community rules for every FullCircle-sponsored event:
* No substances
• No sexual activity
• No violence or fighting
These guardrails keep the space safe and supportive for everyone.

Being in a romantic relationship during early recovery — at least for the first year of sobriety — is not recommended for a good reason. Entering into a romantic relationship too early in the recovery process, or when not in the right state of mind, can adversely affect mental health and well-being, thus increasing risk of relapse.
Please feel free to reach out to any of the staff at FullCircle with any additional questions.