The In-Home Family Recovery Program is a unique outpatient family-based drug and alcohol treatment program. The target populations served by this program are adults or adolescents with alcohol or drug use as the primary issue affecting family functioning; and would benefit from a systemic family-based approach to recovery.

The Family Recovery Program follows the principles of structural family therapy and is provided by a team of two (2) therapists and  is available to families who are receiving services through Venango County Children, Youth and Family Services (CYFS). The Family Recovery Program team provides up to (8) eight months of service but length of time is individualized based on the needs of the family.


Program Treatment Methodology

The Family Recovery Program uses a strength-based Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy (ESFT) Model and combines the traditional drug & alcohol models of:

  • Motivational Interviewing
  • 12-step Recovery Model
  • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Benefits of the Family Recovery Program:

  • Works within the home and provides the individual and family members with a level of treatment intensity by addressing how substance use affects the whole family system and often causes the breakdown of a family’s functioning.
  • Utilizes total family participation in an effort to increase the individual and family’s ability to support and maintain a recovery-based atmosphere within the home.
  • Partners with the family to identify family strengths, through the gathering of family history and traditions.
  • Partners with the family to create a safe and supportive recovery environment for both the individual and the family by focusing on increasing positive relational interactions among family members.
  • Provides family, individual, sibling, and couple therapy sessions based on the family’s identified needs.
  • Partners with the family in creating treatment goals that fit their family needs.
  • Provides flexibility to meet within the home or community settings for up to five (5) hours a week as determined by the individual and family treatment goals.
  • Collaborates with the family to identify resources, family needs, and possible community recovery supports.
  • Partners with the family to identify patterns for handling stressful or critical events that affect the family and may lead to relapse.
  • Partners with the family to explore how substance use has affected the family system.
  • Improves such factors as relationships and communication patterns within the family rather than focusing on just behaviors or symptoms in individual family members.
  • Assists the family in connecting to other service providers or community resources as determined by the family in order to sustain recovery.
  • Supports reunification of the children in the home, or lowers risk factors for out-of-home placement.

What’s expected from the family?

Family members are expected to participate in all aspects of treatment. This includes:

  • Attending sessions (whether held in the home or community settings).
  • Creating the treatment plan.
  • Communicating any changes with the team.
  • Remaining open and honest.
  • Willingness to participate in family activities.

For additional information contact the Franklin office at 814-432-3466.