The role of social relationships in recovery court programs

Our findings indicate that the impact of social relationships on recovery court participants is complex and could influence court program progress. We suggest that recovery courts serving legally involved populations consider borrowing approaches from the family treatment court model to strengthen pre-existing relationships and support navigation of parenting roles. Connection to wrap-around services could further alleviate stress on family dynamics. Additional incorporation of previous program graduates or those with substance use histories into recovery court programming could also be explored.