Mental health and alcohol or other drug (AOD) challenges often happen together. When they do, families often hold things together, absorb stress, and navigate services not equipped for the complexity of these co-occurring issues.

Join the Bouverie Centre and Victorian Drug and Alcohol Association (VAADA) for a webinar unpacking findings from a new systematic review published in Clinical Psychology Review, examining the evidence for family-inclusive approaches in dual diagnosis treatment.

Drawing on 28 studies spanning 25 years of research, across both adolescent and adult populations, this session explores what happens when families are brought into treatment, not just for the individual with the dual diagnosis, but for the wellbeing of the family system as a whole. We will look at what the evidence shows for mental health symptoms, substance use outcomes, and family functioning, communication, and conflict, and what it means for mental health and AOD workforces designing the next generation of care.

Topics Covered

The evidence base for family-inclusive approaches in dual diagnosis treatment: what has been studied, across which populations, and how robust the evidence is
What changes when families are included: impacts on mental health symptoms, substance use, and relational outcomes like family functioning, communication, cohesion, and (for adolescents) parenting skills
Age matters: adolescents vs. adults; how family-inclusive practice looks different depending on who's in treatment, and why that distinction matters for service design.
Practice implications and where the field goes next: service delivery considerations (in-person vs. telehealth, session intensity), evidence gaps, and priorities for future research.

Research publications and shared knowledge

Kuntsche, S., Vuong, A., Cloud, Z., Cosgrove, M., Pradel, M., Hameed, M., & McIntosh, J. E. (2026). Family-inclusive approaches in the context of a dual diagnosis: A systematic review of relational and individual wellbeing outcomes. Clinical Psychology Review, 128, 102762.

Who is this webinar relevant to

· Mental health practitioners

· Alcohol and other drug (AOD) clinicians

· Family therapists

· Social workers

· Psychologists

· Counsellors

· Psychiatric nurses

· Researchers and academics

· Health service managers

· Policy makers and funders

· Students undertaking mental health, social work, psychology, counselling, or family therapy studies

Contact the host of Treating the Whole Family: What the Evidence Says About Family-Inclusive Care in Mental Health and AOD