M-PACT Programme

How we help

M-PACT provides a safe space for children to talk about their parents’ or family member’s addiction. We developed the programme in response to the 2003 Hidden Harm report which put a spotlight on how parental substance misuse can affect children. The report called for people working with vulnerable families to be trained in the delivery of evidence-based interventions. The core programme supports up to 8 families at a time and consists of 10 sessions. The model can be adapted to include both shorter and longer versions to respond more flexibly to the needs of licenced organisations and the families attending the programme.

M-PACT is a whole family, multi-family, structured brief intervention. Its psychosocial, educational and systematic approach, aiming to improve the well-being of children and families affected by parental substance misuse. The programme supports families to address areas such as communication and coping strategies as well as educating family members on what addiction is and the impact it has. It is now one of the longest standing interventions for parental substance misuse in the UK and continues to be a unique and innovative programme, which puts children at its heart. 

The M-PACT programme is delivered under licence by facilitators who are trained by experts from The Forward Trust. Practitioner training is accredited by the University of Bath and is available to other organisations across the UK and Ireland as a licensed programme. 

The first M-PACT programme was delivered in 2006. By the end of 2018, 446 practitioners had been trained. M-PACT programmes have been delivered to over 2,500 individual participants representing 700 families in around 50 locations across the UK, including at community, prison and school-based sites.

Find your local M-PACT programme

Contact our family counsellors to find the nearest M-PACT provider in your area.