Family can offer terrific support to someone in recovery- or, family can be a huge obstacle to establishing and maintaining good sobriety. But by the time a client lands in treatment, it may be hard to tell whether their family relationships offer a potential asset or a problem set to address. Usually it’s both. But which aspects of the family dynamic are which?

This simple one-page inventory can be helpful early in treatment, identifying perceived strengths and problems, and later in treatment to check progress on specific family-related goals. It can be applied in group or individual contexts, with the client and (most helpfully) with the client and family members.

The inventory looks at commitment to family, family stability, communication, nurturing, and conflict resolution- all key aspects of how family relationships can help (or hinder) the newly-sober person’s quest to build a lasting recovery.