Cliffside Malibu expands family role in addiction treatment with monthly program

Cliffside Malibu is using a monthly family program in Malibu to bring relatives and significant others into substance use disorder treatment. The center says the approach helps families understand addiction, improve communication and support recovery before and after residential care.

Why it matters: - Substance use disorder affects entire households, not just the person in treatment. - Cliffside Malibu’s family program is designed to help relatives understand the patterns that form around addiction and give them tools to support recovery. - The program may matter most during the holidays, when family members often notice a loved one’s substance use more clearly.

What happened: - Cliffside Malibu operates a monthly family program at its detox and residential treatment center in Malibu, Calif. - The program brings relatives and significant others into the treatment process alongside patients. - The center says the program helps families learn about substance use disorder and the dynamics that develop at home. - Individuals and families can learn more at Cliffside Malibu’s website or by calling 424-320-3061.

The details: - Each monthly session takes place in a group setting with support from addictionologists, doctors, psychiatrists, therapists and certified addiction specialists. - Visiting families hear introductions from therapists, case managers, aftercare specialists and alumni coordinators who work with their loved one. - The day includes a presentation on the center’s clinical philosophy, a process group with other families, family and patient group therapy led by a Cliffside Malibu therapist, and lunch prepared by the facility’s chef. - Topics include the Stages of Change model, codependency, family roles, boundaries, psychopharmacology, brain neuroanatomy, depression, anxiety and communication skills. - Family members also examine their own role in the family dynamic. - When clinically appropriate, Cliffside Malibu adds weekly family therapy. - The treatment model is a non-12-step Stages of Change framework developed by researchers Prochaska and DiClemente at the University of Rhode Island. - Cliffside Malibu staff were trained in the model by Prochaska. - Each patient works with one consistent personal therapist throughout treatment. - Care begins with medically supervised detox when needed. - A qualified addiction specialist oversees each detox plan, which is personalized to the patient’s health and substance history. - Patients then move into residential treatment with individual, group and family therapy. - Cliffside Malibu provides aftercare through Discovery for Life. - Former patients receive Discovery365, an interactive assessment and check-in program for the first year after treatment. - Alumni also get free lifetime support through online and in-person support groups, alumni social events and educational content in an app. - Cliffside Malibu is accredited by The Joint Commission and is part of Discovery Behavioral Health.

Between the lines: - The family program mirrors Cliffside Malibu’s broader treatment philosophy by matching support to a patient’s readiness for change. - By applying the same framework to relatives, the center is treating family recovery as part of the clinical process, not as an add-on. - The emphasis on communication, boundaries and family roles suggests the program is aimed at changing household patterns that can keep addiction in place.

What's next: - Cliffside Malibu will continue offering the family program monthly as part of its residential care model. - Patients and families can also access post-discharge support through Discovery for Life and the alumni network. - The center is continuing to market detox and residential treatment in Malibu through its admissions line and website.