ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 specifies how to create a Reconnecting for Recovery (R4R) Multifamily Therapy Group. It outlines patient and family member inclusion and exclusion criteria and defines “family of choice members.” It describes group recruitment and screening procedures and what should be addressed during phone screenings, including (a) a brief overview of R4R; (b) assessment of inclusion criteria; (c) obtaining consents for the primary care provider, individual therapist, single-family therapist, and registered dietitian (as indicated); and (d) scheduling R4R assessment, joining and orientation sessions. Chapter 4 reviews the importance of completing or obtaining a psychiatric intake evaluation of the patient before the group begins. It also emphasizes the importance of requesting medical follow-up for the patient while they attend group in order to ensure safety, medical stability, and appropriate level of care. Additionally, the benefits of the R4R therapists having previously co-facilitated groups together or having worked with each other is discussed. This situation is preferred so each is knowledgeable about factors that can influence group co-facilitation and outcomes, such as one another’s clinical training and experience, strengths, potential countertransference reactions, and strategies of disconnection (behavioral responses protecting the self from intense emotions experienced in relationships).
