Supporting At‐Risk Families: The Role of Intervention in Family Recovery and Reunification

ABSTRACT At‐risk families often face chronic stress and adversity, affecting their ability to provide safe environments for their children. While interventions are vital for promoting recovery and reunification, their effectiveness is not yet well understood. This study uses in‐depth interviews with 24 psychologists and social workers to explore professionals' views on family recovery, including its meaning, key facilitating and inhibiting factors, recovery indicators and evaluation challenges. Thematic analysis revealed that family recovery is understood as a dynamic process marked by gradual changes that strengthen family functioning and child well‐being. Factors facilitating recovery include strong professional–family alliances, collaborative intervention strategies, socio‐economic support and professional reflexivity. Conversely, barriers such as family resistance, socio‐economic hardship and professional biases were identified as barriers to progress. Additionally, challenges in assessing recovery were noted, particularly in balancing subjective and objective evaluation criteria within constrained timelines. The findings stress the need for structured, evidence‐based interventions that build professional–family collaboration, maintain motivation for change and address socio‐economic inequalities. By enhancing understanding of family recovery, the study contributes to improving interventions and outcomes for at‐risk families and their children.