
There is a glaring hole in substance use treatment.
On one side we have scared, angry, and hurting families, desperately seeking healing.
On the other side, we have treatment programs wringing their hands in frustration, wondering "How do we get families more engaged in treatment?"
I know, because I've been working in the trenches on both sides of this issue for many years.
In the meantime—if we're honest—treatment success rates are frighteningly poor. How many people know someone who's "been to rehab" and it "didn't work"? That's not to say there aren't wonderful things happening in treatment every day: lives are saved, marriages are healed, parents get their children back. There are miracles taking place every day in treatment programs all over the world.
But there is also a dark side to the addiction treatment industry. In the work I do, I tend to hear about it from the families of treatment clients:
"We never heard from the treatment center."
He relapsed the day he got out.
"She kept telling us she wasn't as bad as everyone else in there, so we let her come home."
This is not to say that treating a substance use disorder is easy; to the contrary, overcoming an addiction issue is one of the biggest challenges someone may ever face. And while there's no way to guarantee successful treatment, there is one area that can make a huge difference in outcomes.
THE X-FACTOR IN SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT
One of the most significant periods of my career was when I ran my own outpatient treatment program for over ten years in the Dallas, Texas area. It was during that time that I learned:
1. how much of an impact the family can have on treatment outcomes, and
2. how much help families need in learning how to support treatment effectively.
I witnessed time and again examples where it could be said that family support can either make the case—or break the case. As such, it's not overstating anything to regard family support as the x-factor in treatment:
- Effective family programming: The family becomes a proactive participant in their loved one's recovery.
- Inadequate family programming: At best, family members remain hopeful bystanders; at worst, families sabotage treatment efforts without even realizing it, and contribute to poor outcomes.
With the potential for two such drastically different dynamics, the importance of doing everything we can to help families land in the first category should be clear to see.
THE PROBLEM WITH TREATMENT
Being convinced of the potential that family support represents for improving treatment outcomes, I eventually sold my treatment program and turned my attention to working directly with families.
I wrote Rehab Works! A Family’s Guide to Substance Use Treatment and then developed a structured program for families to complete while their loved one was in treatment. Over time, that evolved into RehabWorks — a comprehensive online family-education platform that gives families all the tools they need to become the proactive participants described above, rather than the hopeful bystanders, waiting for the the next family weekend or phone call from the counselor.
My purpose with RehabWorks was to offer a solution to a foundational problem that occurs with treatment—no matter how good a facility's family program is.
The fact is, unless the family is in treatment alongside the client, there will always be inherent gaps between the client, the family, and the treatment team.
And those gaps are where important things fall through the cracks, and frequently become major contributors to poor outcomes.
RehabWorks bridges those gaps.
It solves three main problems relative to family support:
a. Engagement: Families can begin participating in treatment from Day One of their loved one's treatment. No waiting for the first family therapy session or the next Intensive Family Weekend.
b. Alignment: Families learn what clients are learning about treating a substance use disorder and what recovery looks like. Everyone is one the same page.
c. Family recovery: Families learn about the impact of substance use on the family system, and receive tools for examining their own part in enabling the problem to continue, setting healthy boundaries, and restoring family balance.
Many programs have excellent family programs. These typically include some combination of weekly family therapy sessions, weekly education sessions, weekly family groups, or some form of intensive family week or weekend.
The truth, however, is that many more programs don't come close to this type of family involvement.
My experience with RehabWorks—whether it's through facilities I work with that provide it to their families, or through my own direct work with families in my own family coaching program—is that by bringing them into the treatment process immediately, it:
1) prepares them for responding to critical issues that often arise during the first week or two of treatment, such as their loved one wanting to leave, and
2) helps families feel confident that their needs are being met through an effective family program that's giving them the tools for successful recovery—not just for their loved one, but for the entire family as well.
TIME TO STEP UP FAMILY SUPPORT IN TREATMENT
"The untapped potential the family represents for improving treatment outcomes."
— Jim Savage, "Rehab Works! A Family's Guide To Substance Use Treatment"
At this point, I’m just going to say it: We can’t keep pretending this problem doesn’t exist.
Everyone in the field knows that family engagement is critical — yet it’s still one of the most neglected pieces of the treatment process. And families, for their part, are often left feeling powerless, confused, or shut out of what’s happening.
This is precisely why I do the work I do with RehabWorks — to give both sides a way to finally work together more cohesively.
At this point, I want to be direct about my view on family support in treatment. The message is a little different depending on whether you’re a treatment provider or a family member seeking support:
If you are a treatment provider:
Practically every program I’ve ever worked with has wrestled with the same age-old dilemma:
“How do we get families more engaged in treatment?”
It’s a fair question — and one I used to ask myself when I ran my own outpatient program.
The reality is, most treatment teams want to involve families. But between limited bandwidth, staffing challenges, and the constant pressure of managing client crises, family programming inevitably gets pushed to the margins.
So what happens?
Family education becomes an add-on — a weekend event, a group squeezed into the visitation schedule, or a phone call when something goes wrong. Everyone agrees that family participation is important, but let’s admit—it’s hard to integrate them into the treatment process in a consistent, structured way.
Between managing caseloads, documentation, and the daily intensity of clinical work, it’s easy for family engagement to slip to the background—not because we don’t care, but because the system makes it difficult to do it well.
I designed RehabWorks specifically to solve this problem.
It’s a comprehensive, turnkey system that allows programs to bring families into treatment from Day One — without adding to staff workload or infrastructure. It gives families the same educational foundation clients receive, so everyone is working from the same playbook.
The program also includes interactive worksheets that families complete as they move through the material. Those responses are uploaded directly to the treatment team, providing a wealth of insight into family dynamics, concerns, and patterns that might not surface otherwise — valuable information that can be used to inform treatment planning and strengthen clinical decision-making.
And to help families stay connected and supported, RehabWorks also includes a weekly live Zoom Q&A session with me — a licensed counselor with over 35 years of experience in addiction treatment and family support. During these sessions, families can ask questions, clarify what they’re learning, and receive additional coaching in real time.
For your program, that means your families get direct access to expert-level guidance and personalized support — something that would normally be cost-prohibitive to provide in-house. It’s a simple way to extend your program’s reach and clinical impact without adding to your team’s workload.
The result: Families are no longer anxious bystanders, hoping treatment's going to work. Rather, they feel confident in the treatment program, and they start becoming proactive partners in recovery.
👉 If you’re a provider who’s ready to make family engagement more than a talking point, let’s connect.
I'd be happy to show you how easily RehabWorks integrates directly into your existing program to help close the gaps that so often undermine treatment outcomes.
If you are a family member in need of support:
If you have a loved one currently in treatment, are just taking the first steps toward getting help, or have been through the rehab cycle more times than you can count — I want you to know this: there is more that can be done.
Maybe you’re in a fabulous program that’s already meeting your all of your needs — if so, that’s great. But if not, there’s a lot families can do that’s completely within your control. You don’t have to sit on the sidelines waiting and worrying. You can take an active role in supporting recovery — not through control, but through education, clarity, and alignment.
That’s why I created RehabWorks — to give families a comprehensive framework you can use to get the most out of your loved one’s treatment experience and give them the best possible chance at long-term success.
Through my family coaching program, I work one-on-one with families using the RehabWorks curriculum to help you:
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Understand how treatment really works — and how to work with the process, not against it.
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Set healthy, informed boundaries that support recovery.
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Communicate more effectively with your loved one and the treatment team.
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Reclaim your own sense of peace and confidence, even in the midst of uncertainty.
- Make the most of your loved one’s treatment experience — and ensure you’re giving them the best possible chance for lasting recovery.
Treatment is a window of opportunity — and it’s often shorter than you think. The right support now can make all the difference later.
👉 If you’re ready to stop feeling powerless and start playing an informed, empowered role in your loved one’s recovery, schedule a free 45-minute consultation.
Together, we’ll make sure you’re getting the support you need — and giving your loved one the best possible chance for lasting change.
IN CLOSING
At the end of the day, families and treatment teams are working toward the same goal — lasting recovery. When both sides have the right tools, education, and support, that goal becomes not just possible, but truly achievable.
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