Family-Based Recovery Model Development and Operations

The purpose of Family-Based Recovery is to ensure that children develop optimally in substance-free, safe and stable homes with their parent/s.

Family-Based Recovery (FBR) integrates an attachment-based parent-child therapeutic approach with contingency management substance use treatment, trauma informed psychotherapy and case management services.

In 2006, the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF), Yale Child Study Center and Johns Hopkins University collaborated to develop and implement FBR to fill a void in the service array. FBR expands an evidence-based program, Reinforcement-Based Treatment, and a longstanding attachment-based parent-child treatment, Coordinated Intervention for Women and Infants, which was developed and implemented at Yale for 16 years FBR treats parents with substance use disorders and who are parenting a young child, aged birth to six years old. Sessions are in-home to address barriers to treatment. The clinical team meets with the family three times per week for up to one year.

In Connecticut, DCF contracted with local agencies to implement the FBR model across the state. There are multiple agencies implementing the model, serving families across the state of Connecticut.