Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Family-Centered Approach

A family-centered approach provides a comprehensive array of clinical treatment and related support services that meet the needs of each family member, not just the individual requesting care. Learn more about family-centered care below.

Highlighted Resource

Implementing a Family-Centered Approach in Outpatient Treatment

Implementing a Family Centered Approach in Outpatient Treatment

National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, 2025

This resource is for outpatient treatment providers to understand 1) the principles and benefits of a family-centered approach and 2) practice

... (Read More)
View Document (PDF 2.41 MB)

Policy and Practice Resources

Navigating Mental Health and Substance Use Care: An Introductory Guide for Families

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services A..., 2026

Highlights common experiences of family members who are navigating mental health and

... (Read More)
View Website

Implementing a Family-Centered Approach in Outpatient Treatment

National Center on Substance Abuse and Child..., 2025

This resource is for outpatient treatment providers to understand 1) the principles

... (Read More)
View Document (PDF 2.41 MB)

Implementing a Family-Centered Approach (Companion Modules) Series

National Center on Substance Abuse and Child..., 2021

This three-part series helps communities move toward family-centered care by offering strategies for state and agency-level

... (Read More)
View Series

State Policy Levers for Expanding Family-Centered Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services..., 2019

Describes key challenges and opportunities related to expanding access to

... (Read More)
View Document (PDF 963 KB)

Related Online Training, Videos, and Webinars

Video Series: Improving Early Childhood Outcomes and Systems

National Center on Substance Abuse and Child..., 2025

Includes nine brief videos that feature subject matter experts including parents in recovery from a substance use disorder. Learn of the

... (Read More)
View Series

Additional Resources

Transitioning to a Family-Centered Approach: Best Practices and Lessons Learned from Three Adult Drug Court...

Children and Family Futures and National Dru..., 2017

Examines three adult drug courts (ADCs) that transitioned from a traditional ADC to

... (Read More)
View Document (PDF 979 KB)

Find Help with a Personal Situation

Substance Use and Mental Health Treatment Locator

To find treatment facilities confidentially, 24/7, please call 1-800-662-4357 (HELP).

To locate general treatment services, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Treatment Locator online or call 1-800-662-4357 (HELP). This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. It is a free, confidential, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a year information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members needing treatment for a mental and/or substance use disorder.

To locate general treatment services, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Treatment Locator online or call 1-800-662-4357 (HELP). This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. It is a free, confidential, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a year information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members needing treatment for a mental and/or substance use disorder.

National Child Abuse Hotline

If you suspect a child has been harmed by abuse or neglect, please call 1-800-422-4453.

If you suspect that a child has been harmed or is at risk of being harmed by abuse or neglect, call the National Child Abuse Hotline at Call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453. Serving the United States and Canada, the hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with professional crisis counselors who—through interpreters—provide assistance in over 170 languages. All calls, texts, and chats are confidential. If you believe a child is in immediate danger of harm, call 911 first.

If you suspect that a child has been harmed or is at risk of being harmed by abuse or neglect, call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453. Serving the United States and Canada, the hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with professional crisis counselors who—through interpreters—provide assistance in over 170 languages. All calls, texts, and chats are confidential. If you believe a child is in immediate danger of harm, call 911 first.

National Suicide Prevention Line

For free and confidential support for people in distress, 24/7, please call or text 988, chat 988Lifeline.org, or call 1-800-273-8255.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, help is available and there are options to receive compassionate care. You can call or text 988 or chat 988Lifeline.org. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). Both are confidential and available 24/7 to everyone in the United States and will connect you to a trained counselor at a suicide crisis center nearest you.

If you or someone you know are in crisis, thinking about harming yourself, attempting suicide, or harming another person, tell someone who can help right away. There are options to help you cope. Call the toll-free, 24-hour hotline of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to be connected to a trained counselor at a suicide crisis center nearest you. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is confidential support, available 24/7 to everyone in the United States.

Contact Us

The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare offers free technical assistance to a variety of systems on making policy and practice changes to improve outcomes for families affected by substance use disorders and involvement with child welfare services. To learn more about technical assistance services or if you have a question please email NCSACW at ncsacw@cffutures.org or call toll-free at 1–866–493–2758.

Administration for Children & FamiliesSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
https://ncsacw.acf.gov

An official website of the Administration for Children and Families and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare