Children of Alcoholics At Risk (COAAR) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Indio California providing services to the Coachella Valley under the direction of Bill McPhie. Bill has a long history of writing and implementing Family, Aftercare and Children’s Programs. Bill’s experience covers more than forty-four years of active participation in recovery, with six years at the ABC Recovery Center as Program Coordinator where he developed and implemented the Aftercare, Family and Children’s Enrichment Programs.

Problem:
At a very early age, children often feel lost and confused. They wonder who they are and what their role is going to be in life. Research has proven that somewhere between the ages of seven to twelve years of age most children will experience a situation in which they will drink alcohol or use drugs. If that drink makes them feel immeasurably better about themselves and their surroundings, they will very likely seek out more alcohol or some other substance to continue that seductive, illusionary feeling of well being. While treatment for chemical dependency can be effective, the relapse rate is high. The most sensible long term solution to this problem is early prevention - accomplished through education, positive role modeling and counseling - especially with children seven to twelve, the most vulnerable group for the onset of the disease of addiction.

Target Population:
This new program is designed to provide children of low-income families with education and prevention in the use of Alcohol and Drugs at an early age. Special focus will be centered on the seven to twelve year old children who are at the highest risk for addiction due to genetics and environment. For more than 65 years now a 12 step program has been available to addicts to help them in the recovery process. This program will address the problem of addiction before it starts with the goal of prevention by education. This program will give children the opportunity to discover their role in the family, find their real self and Cast Their Own Shadow.

Target Geographical Area:
This new program will be directed to the low income, high-risk youth population in the Coachella Valley thereby fulfilling a major need in our community to educate the entire family in the prevention of addiction.

Mission and Goal:
Addiction Prevention through Education at an early age. When our children first learn to walk and run we immediately enroll them in a swimming school because we know that although we might not have a pool in our backyard, our neighbor down the street might. And our children are at risk. The same principle must apply to alcohol and drugs. It is our responsibility as parents to give them this gift.

COAAR’s goal is to provide a safe environment where children in the Coachella Valley can gather to learn about the dangers of addictions. Special attention will be given regarding the percentage of risk if a child grows up in a house where addictions are present.

Objective:    
A letter from the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, Tommy Thompson states “Research tells us that we have the power to reduce the confusion and fear young children experience when living in substance-abusing families. We have the power to help them gain the skills and knowledge they need to become resilient and strong as they mature. It comes through preventive educational services provided to children concurrent with their parents’ treatment for substance abuse.”

COAAR’s objective is to provide educational services to children between the ages of 7 to 12 whose parents are addicts.

COAAR DVD Information:
After working in the Television field for twenty-seven-years, Bill McPhie opened a post production studio in Studio City, California which he successfully operated for eighteen years. During those forty-five years he shot and edited VHS tape, Beta Tape, Super Beta, 3/4 inch tape, 16mm film, 35mm film and Mini-DV.  In his long career, Bill has worked with every quality of recording available.

In the year 2000 Bill was employed by a recovery center and immediately became aware of the outdated, behind the times, poor quality recovery presentations generally available. The DVD titles made available by COAAR are intended for recovery centers in an attempt to upgrade not only the quality of the recordings, but also to include the latest educational information available.

COAAR employs award-winning cameraman Steve Elkins for every shoot, utilizing the latest video camera available for quality recordings that approach High Definition. 

Nine of the presentations offered are in the library of a Recovery Center in Southern California and available for viewing by one hundred and forty-six residential patients. A member of the staff at this Treatment Center stated,  "The presentation on 'The Disease of Addiction/Disease Imbalance' is the finest I have ever seen."

Please click below to view clips from some of COAAR's DVD titles: