04/23/2025
Family involvement is critical in the recovery process from any mental health condition or addiction. Would love to get your feedback on your experience in this. 
If a behavioral health treatment plan doesn't include family involvement, it isn't a plan — it’s just a temporary band-aid.
We see it all the time: a program pours resources into the “identified patient," but hands the family a pamphlet and a polite “Good luck, keep in touch” at discharge.
⚠️ Here’s the cost of this gap:
• Boundaries crumble within days of discharge.
• Medication routines fall apart.
• Parents absorb the stress alone, then are labeled “codependent.”
• Clients are labeled "not ready" when they don't succeed.
For individuals with severe mental illness, this is a recipe for re‑admission.
Transportation, scheduling, medication pick‑ups, job interviews, life skills…
𝗡𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰.
And family members are left to project‑manage a clinical roadmap they never built.
1️⃣ Co‑write the aftercare plan with the family weeks before discharge.
2️⃣ Assign a family coach (licensed clinician) who remains on call from Day 1.
3️⃣ Help 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 the aftercare.
4️⃣ Include the family as equal co-participants, not "codependent" sideliners.
5️⃣ Measure progress by life‑skill milestones, not by insurance calendars.
That's where we see real progress.
👇 But we’d love to hear from clinicians and families: What’s one element of true family‑inclusive care you wish every program offered?
