News

When someone you care about is struggling with alcohol or substance use, it can be hard to know what to do. You might hear well-meaning advice like:
“Let them hit rock bottom.”
“Don’t help until they want to change.”
“Sometimes you just have to walk away.”

For many people, those words do not sit right. Walking away does not feel like love, and waiting for someone to “hit bottom” can feel impossible.

On Monday, November 17 from 5:30 to 7:00 PM, the Mental Health Coalition of Teton Valley invites the community to a free workshop, Rethinking Rock Bottom: Better Understanding Addiction, with Cordelia Kraus, LPC, CADC I, Certified CRAFT Clinician, and Invitation to Change Trainer.

Cordelia will introduce the Invitation to Change (ITC) approach, a compassionate, science-based model that helps people support a loved one’s recovery while also caring for themselves. Grounded in communication, connection, and motivation, ITC offers practical tools for navigating substance use challenges with less conflict and more hope.

Participants will:

• Learn why the idea of “rock bottom” is a myth and what actually supports change

• Explore new ways to communicate with care and compassion

• Discover tools for balancing support, boundaries, and self-care

This workshop is designed for anyone who wants to better understand addiction. Whether you are supporting a friend, family member, coworker, or simply want to learn how change really happens, you are welcome to join.

🗓 Monday, November 17, 2025
🕠 5:30 to 7:00 PM
📍 In person at SWOT | 💻 Hybrid via Zoom
Click here to join the workshop on Zoom

This event is free and open to the community as part of our quarterly Education Series, which brings people together to learn, ask questions, and find connection around mental health topics that matter most in Teton Valley.

Change doesn’t start at rock bottom. It starts with connection.

To learn more about the Invitation to Change approach, visit the CMC: Foundation for Change website or check out the book Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change by Jeffrey Foote, Carrie Wilkens, and Nicole Kosanke.

We are deeply grateful to our Title Sponsor, Teton Valley Health Care, for making this conversation possible.
Additional support for the Education Series is provided by Valley Lumber and the Idaho Community Foundation. Thank you for helping us bring more understanding, compassion, and tools for change to our valley.

We hope you will join us to rethink what recovery can look like and to learn how compassion, not rock bottom, can be the first step toward change.