Systemic Family Intervention Program

The Family’s Role in Addiction Treatment

Addiction treatment facilities typically include a family care component focused on the individual struggling with addiction. American Addiction Centers views addiction as a disease that touches all members of the family in some way. We believe the disease of addiction affects each family member at the same level as it does the individual “just differently” therefore, we treat the whole family system.

In addition to offering on-site family therapy sessions and intensive workshops, our family program is offered online and via telephone conference. Our family program uses the Systemic Family Intervention Model developed by Wayne Raiter, MA, LICSW.

Intensive 2-day Program

This program is educational and therapeutic with respect to helping families understand how addiction has affected them and how to develop and implement healthy coping strategies, especially when feelings of anxiety and fear arise.
This program is designed to provide multiple families the opportunity to interact with one another as well as the clinicians. Families often find support and comfort in knowing other families are experiencing similar issues.
*Offered at most facilities

Individual Family Work

Individual family therapy sessions are offered under the discretion of the client and primary therapist and may include participation with anyone significant in the client’s life such as a spouse, significant other, parent, or sibling. Individual family work identifies the values and norms in which families operate as well as areas that may need work. It also addresses aspects of the family affected by addiction such as communication and trauma.

Family Educational Groups

Throughout treatment, and in addition to curriculum-based groups clients participate in educational groups focused on the family system.

Family Care FAQs

Is your staff experienced in working with families?
Great question! Yes, all of our family program facilitators are licensed and experienced family therapists. Additionally, many of our primary therapists and counselors are trained in family therapy. Wayne Raiter, MA, LICSW, not only developed the Believable Hope for Families program, but also helps train and oversees the program.

What are the goals of your family program?

• To help the family recognize the need for treating the entire family and encourage their participation in
  treatment.
• To introduce new skill building.
• To challenge the current norms, rituals and processes of the family and collaboratively work with the family to
  create new structures and operating systems.
• To address ongoing recovery and relapse issues and transfer the family to an effective community resource upon
  program completion.