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Merit Resources: (509) 837-7700

Substance Use or Mental Health Crisis Line: 988

Serving Central Washington for Over 40 Years

Family Matrix

Family dynamics directly impact addiction recovery. Strengthen your bond and ensure the support you need to overcome treatment obstacles with a Family Matrix assessment from MERIT. Our Family Development Matrix (FDM) program provides highly reliable, actionable data, identifying your family’s strengths and challenges and tracking progress along your drug abuse treatment journey. Working together with your Family Matrix team ensures you have the skills and resources you need to recover from drug abuse successfully.

How Does the Family Matrix Work?

During family therapy, you will undergo a detailed intake and assessment covering these 12 life areas:

  • Income/debt
  • Adult education
  • Employment
  • Housing
  • Food
  • Childcare
  • Healthcare
  • Transportation
  • Utilities
  • Support systems
  • Family interaction
  • Addiction history

We measure your family as a unit, not as individuals. Your family earns points in each area listed above on a scale from 10 (thriving) to 0 (crisis). After your initial assessment, we’ll measure your progress in addressing challenges at least quarterly. Your family score will rise as you make improvements.

Creating a Family Empowerment Plan

Working with your MERIT Family Matrix Development Worker, you’ll devise a strategy to meet immediate, intermediate, and long-term goals tied to the 12 Life Areas (above), including target dates for achieving them. Your goals should follow “SMART” parameters:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Attainable
  • Realistic
  • Time-specific

Typically, you will choose one or two life areas to focus on simultaneously. Planning ensures you focus your time and energy in the right direction and use available resources effectively. MERIT’s Family Matrix Coordinator works within a network of agencies, including our local FDM design team, to get your family the tools and support it needs during recovery. You may receive training and education materials or recommendations for other drug rehabilitation and addiction support group services, such as 12-step. We may also connect you to resources for housing, utilities, clothing, food, and other essentials, ensuring your family unit has a firm foundation for future success.

Benefits of Family Development Matrix Services

Over time, you and your family will gain essential knowledge and build new skills. Family dynamics will shift with changes in thinking and behavioral patterns. Each goal you reach will improve your upcoming Family Matrix assessment score. Earning a higher score in one area may impact another. With each obstacle you surmount, your living environment will improve, inspiring your family unit to become more engaged and self-sufficient. We’ll track and exhibit your progress through charts and graphs. Using this case data, we’ll track and celebrate your triumphs with your addiction treatment team and determine additional resources and services we could offer to help your family and others better.

Face Addiction Recovery Together

Ensure the support you need throughout your drug rehabilitation journey with Family Matrix at MERIT. Contact us at 877-789-3344 to schedule a group consultation at our Ellensburg, Kennewick, Pasco, Sunnyside, Toppenish, Wapato, or Yakima drug and alcohol rehabilitation center today.