By MindWise HealthFamily Program
1 treatment center 8 services offered
1 treatment center on Curivya lists Family Program, across Tennessee. The same location also lists Supportive Housing Services, Continuing Care, Transitional Living (Halfway House Services), Intensive Residential Treatment and Co-Occurring Disorder Treatment.
A family program is the part of a residential or recovery program that brings in the family of the person in treatment. It usually combines education about addiction and mental illness, family sessions, and support for relatives in their own right, since living alongside someone's illness takes a toll on everyone.
It is meant for parents, partners, adult children, siblings and others who will be part of the person's life after treatment. Federal treatment guidance from SAMHSA describes including families as something that can support long-term recovery. Relatives can usually take part even when they are unsure how they feel about the person or the treatment.
What a family program usually involves
Formats vary a great deal between programs. Some run a set number of days on site; others hold weekly sessions in person or by video while the person is in treatment.
- Education on how substance use and mental health conditions work, and what recovery looks like.
- Family sessions with a counselor and the person in treatment.
- Groups for family members only, to talk about their own experience.
- Planning for the return home: expectations, boundaries and warning signs.
- Introductions to ongoing support, such as family support groups.
Why it matters for the family, not just the patient
Families often arrive exhausted, angry, frightened or blaming themselves. A family program is partly a place to set some of that down. It can help relatives understand that they did not cause the illness and cannot control it, while still finding ways to help.
It also prepares everyone for the transition. Coming home after residential treatment is a vulnerable time, and families who have talked through what will be different are better placed to handle it.
Support that continues afterwards
A family program ends when the treatment stay does, but the family's needs do not. Ask the program what it recommends for relatives after discharge, such as ongoing family therapy with an outpatient clinician or local support groups.
Community options exist outside any one program. Al-Anon and Nar-Anon hold peer support meetings for people affected by someone else's drinking or drug use. NAMI runs Family-to-Family, a free education program for relatives and friends of people with mental health conditions, taught by trained family members.
Questions to ask the program
Before agreeing to take part, it is reasonable to ask how the program works and what is expected of you.
- Is participation in person, by video, or either?
- How much does it cost, and is it included in the treatment cost?
- Can relatives attend if the person in treatment is not ready for joint sessions?
- What support is available to the family after discharge?
Common questions about Family Program
Do I have to attend the family program if my loved one is in treatment?
It is usually encouraged rather than required, but ask the program. Even if joint sessions are not possible yet, the education and family-only groups can help you.
What if my relationship with the person in treatment is strained?
That is common. Family programs are used to tension and conflict, and counselors can pace joint sessions. Tell the staff about any safety concerns at the start.
Is a family program the same as family therapy?
They overlap. A family program usually adds education and group support for relatives to family sessions, and it is tied to a particular treatment stay. Ongoing family therapy can continue with an outpatient therapist afterwards.