Family-Centered Treatment

Many adults entering treatment for a substance use disorder have children, and these children are often at risk of child abuse and neglect, developmental delays, and adolescent substance misuse. Family-centered treatment aims to meet the holistic needs of the entire family, not just the person with the substance use disorder. Research demonstrates that treatment, recovery, and family well-being outcomes improve when the complex needs of the family are met through supportive services such as parenting programs, children’s developmental and therapeutic services, and attachment-based family therapeutic services.

• Highlighted Resource

  • Understanding Substance Use Disorder Treatment: A Resource Guide for Professionals Referring to Treatment
    (PDF 641 KB)

    National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, 2019

    This technical assistance tool focuses on providing a fundamental understanding of the substance use treatment and recovery process. Designed to equip professionals who refer parents to substance use treatment, the tool includes a list of questions that child welfare or court staff can ask treatment providers to begin establishing a collaborative relationship with their treatment agency. Professionals using this tool will be able to make informed referral decisions for services that are a good fit to meet the needs of parents and their families.

    View Document Understanding Substance Use Disorder Treatment: A Resource Guide for Professionals Referring to Treatment

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  Policy and Practice Resources

  • Directory of Family-Based Residential Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs for Parents With Children

    Wilder Research and Volunteers of America, 2019

    With the support of the Annie. E. Casey Foundation, Volunteers of America and Wilder Research produced this national directory of residential treatment programs that have the capacity for children to live with their parent while they are in residential treatment. The intent of the directory is to ensure that child welfare agencies and the public at large are aware of available programs.

    Visit Website Directory of Family-Based Residential Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs for Parents With Children
  • Expanding Access to Family-Centered Medication-Assisted Treatment Issue Brief
    (PDF 298 KB)

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, 2019

    This issue brief explains the challenges and opportunities for policymakers to expand access to family-centered medication-assisted treatment.

    View Document Expanding Access to Family-Centered Medication-Assisted Treatment Issue Brief
  • State Policy Levers for Expanding Family-Centered Medication-Assisted Treatment
    (PDF 964 KB)

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, 2019

    This document describes key challenges and opportunities related to expanding access to comprehensive, family-centered services and medication-assisted treatment for pregnant and parenting women and their families. Geared toward policymakers, this study examines selected state and local treatment programs.

    View Document State Policy Levers for Expanding Family-Centered Medication-Assisted Treatment
  • Transitioning to a Family Centered Approach: Best Practices and Lessons Learned From Three Adult Drug Courts
    (PDF 980 KB)

    Children and Family Futures and National Drug Court Institute, 2017

    These case studies examine three adult drug courts (ADCs) that transitioned from a traditional ADC to one that provides expanded services to families and children of program participants. The jurisdictions report the experiences of ADC core team members and their perceptions of the ADC processes, as well as the programs’ successes and challenges as they increased and modified their service approach. The document also presents 10 key strategies for implementing a family-focused approach in problem-solving courts.

    View Document Transitioning to a Family Centered Approach: Best Practices and Lessons Learned From Three Adult Drug Courts
  • TIP 39: Substance Abuse Treatment and Family Therapy
    (PDF 979 KB)

    Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2015 (revised)

    This Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) provides information for substance use treatment providers to learn more about family therapy and for family therapists to learn about substance use treatment. The TIP focuses on the stages of motivation, treatment and recovery, clinical decision making, supervision, cultural considerations, funding, and research.

    Visit Website TIP 39: Substance Abuse Treatment and Family Therapy
  • Family-Centered Treatment for Women With Substance Use Disorders—History, Key Elements, and Challenges
    (PDF 2.2 MB)

    Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2007

    This monograph presents the background, context, and framework that policymakers, funders, and treatment providers can use to develop and expand family-based services. Challenges that may be encountered and potential solutions for implementing comprehensive family-centered treatment are also presented.

    View Document Family-Centered Treatment for Women With Substance Use Disorders—History, Key Elements, and Challenges

• Related Online Trainings, Videos, and Webinars

  • Family Matters: Transitioning Towards a Family-Centered Approach in Drug Courts
    

    Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation, 2019

    Judicial leaders and drug court professionals working in any drug court may benefit from this webinar, which focuses on strategies for implementing a family-focused approach to court cases involving parental substance use. This presentation emphasizes that cross-system collaboration and communication are critical for family safety and recovery.

    Watch Video Family Matters: Transitioning Towards a Family-Centered Approach in Drug Courts
  • Tribal Best Practices for Family Engagement Toolkit
    (PDF 8.72 MB)

    National Indian Child Welfare Association, 2018

    This toolkit will inform and enrich a family advocate’s capacity to engage with Indian families in systems of care (SOC). The document outlines a basic family engagement framework that illustrates how families can be involved at multiple levels of the SOC structure. This information can assist a grantee who is envisioning, conceptualizing, and implementing family engagement with or without substance use disorders, within its SOC. This document also offers strategies, ideas, and tools for family advocates to support Indian families within any SOC framework.

    View Document Tribal Best Practices for Family Engagement Toolkit
  • Webinar: Tools for Teaching Healthcare Providers to Practice Family-Centered Care

    Healthier Washington Collaboration Portal, 2018

    Biomedical and behavioral healthcare providers are now working more collaboratively than ever, allowing patients to be at the center of an integrated healthcare system. However, patients are often already fully integrated into other systems that have a great influence concerning healthcare decisions. Patients’ family members, for example, can have a more significant influence on patients’ health than their healthcare providers. This is especially true with behavioral and biopsychosocial conditions (such as smoking cessation, addiction, ADHD, and depression) and during times of family transition (such as infertility, maternity, children’s healthcare, and end-of-life care). This webinar focuses on family-centered care by using free educational tools to demonstrate ways of developing and improving communication skills for working with patients in their family context. These tools include the Family-Centered Observation Form and its companion, a web-based training module, which teach family-oriented interviewing skills among healthcare professionals.

    Visit Website Webinar: Tools for Teaching Healthcare Providers to Practice Family-Centered Care
  • Parent-Child Relationships: Supporting Families in Family Drug Courts
    

    Children and Family Futures, 2016

    This webinar outlines five reasons why family drug courts should focus on serving family members, highlighting the key components of a family-centered delivery approach. A discussion guide and activities are provided to engage teams in further discussion and take the steps to increase FDCs’ capacity to serve family members.

    Watch Video Parent-Child Relationships: Supporting Families in Family Drug Courts

• State and Local Examples

  • Brief 2: Key Lessons for Implementing a Family-Centered Approach
    (PDF 4.8 MB)

    Children and Family Futures, 2017

    Drawing on the experiences of four FDCs, this brief provides nine key lessons that other jurisdictions can apply in their efforts to integrate evidence-based interventions for parents and children and move to a comprehensive family-centered approach.

    The highlighted FDCs are programs of the Prevention and Family Recovery initiative, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Duke Endowment, which seek to advance the capacity of family drug courts to provide more comprehensive family-centered care to children, parents, and families affected by substance use disorders.

    View Document Brief 2: Key Lessons for Implementing a Family-Centered Approach

• Additional Resources

  • State Requirements for Electing Title IV-E Prevention and Family Services and Programs

    Administration for Children and Families, 2018

    This Program Instruction informs states, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and tribal consortia on the requirements to meet when electing the title IV-E agencies that will be part of the Families First Prevention Services Act of 2018.

    Visit Website State Requirements for Electing Title IV-E Prevention and Family Services and Programs
  • National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

    A project of the University of Iowa School of Social Work, the mission of the National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice is to promote family-centered, community-based, culturally competent practice within organizations and across systems through research and evaluation, training and technical assistance, and information dissemination. Family-centered resources and data have been provided in the areas of child welfare, family support, and in-home services since the project’s inception.

    Visit Website National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice
  • Family-Centered Practice

    Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2017

    Key elements of family-centered practice are highlighted on this webpage, which provides overarching strategies for family-centered casework practice across all child welfare service positions. The strategies focus on using strengths, engaging and involving families in decision making, advocating for improving families’ living conditions, and engaging communities to support families.

    Visit Website Family-Centered Practice