DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – An organization that supports families impacted by addiction is expanding its services in the Miami Valley with the launch of a new warmline.

Families of Addicts (FOA) created a warmline to focus on the needs of families touched by addiction by making resources, treatment services and support just a call or text away.

“When somebody is going through active addiction, there’s a lot of services out there,” FOA Executive Director Anita Kitchen said. “There’s crisis lines and there are different warm lines for the person in active addiction, but there’s very little help for families.”

FOA wants to be that help by launching their independent warmline, or help line, FOA-Link Support Network.

The line can be reached by calling or texting 567-FOA-LINK (567-362-5465) Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The line will have limited weekend availability.

Calls or texts for help will be answered by a team of volunteers who have their own experiences with addiction.

The volunteers have access to a database of resources to connect family members to anything– from treatment options, to legal advice, to simply a person who can listen and relate.

“They all have had either a son, a daughter, a husband that are volunteering and they have been in your spot, and what they do is they can give you a lot of different resources we have,” Kitchen said.

Previously, FOA operated a text-based warmline alongside another organization, this change allows them to make help more accessible.

“Recovery sees a lot of different paths,” Kitchen said. “It could be a treatment center that might work for one person, it’s not going to work for the next. So we don’t have any one company, one organization, or thing buying into our warmline.”

Kitchen said the reason FOA is launching the line is because having a support system is often the key to recovery for people going through addiction.

“If you can get your family to be supportive and healthy and know about addiction, then your path to recovery is going to be more likely,” Kitchen said.

Families of Addicts is celebrating their 10th anniversary of supporting hundreds of families in the Miami Valley as they navigate addiction. Now, they’re looking forward to expanding programs and locations in and outside of Ohio.