5 Dimensions of Recovery Capital — Do I Know the Basics?

According to the originators, William Cloud and Robert Granfield, Recovery Capital refers to “the breadth and depth of internal and external resources that can be drawn upon to initiate and sustain recovery” from substance use disorder. William White’s work heightened the importance of Recovery Capital by highlighting the idea that therapeutic processes in addiction treatment must encompass more than a strictly clinical intervention. Strategies that target family and community recovery capital can elevate long-term recovery outcomes, as well as the quality of life of individuals and families in long-term recovery. The framework of Recovery Capital continues to evolve today highlighting the idea that, according to the Recovery Research Institute (RRI), there are multiple pathways to recovery;

▪ Clinical pathways (recovery processes aided by the services of a healthcare provider, clinician, or other credentialed professional),

▪ Non-clinical pathways (recovery processes that do not involve a trained clinician, but are often community-based and utilize peer support), and

▪ Self-management pathways (recovery processes that involve no formal services, sometimes referred to as “natural recovery”).

Additionally, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, defines Recovery from Mental Disorders and/or Substance Use Disorders as:

Recovery Defined: A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential. Recovery is more than simply abstinence from alcohol and other drugs.

 SAMHSA’s Four major dimensions that support a life include:

  1. Health, defined as overcoming or managing one’s disease(s) or symptoms by making informed, healthy choices that support physical and emotional well-being

  2. Home,  defined as having a safe and stable place to live

  3. Purpose, defined conduction meaningful daily activities such as a job, school volunteerism, family care taking or creative endeavors. Having the independence, income and resources to participate in society 

  4. Community, having relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope

In essence, Recovery Capital is a roadmap for building and sustaining recovery beyond access to acute treatment interventions. It is a construct to educate, assess, and measure individual’s progress with any entry point to the various pathways of recovery. It can be used as the centerpiece of care planning discussion at the clinical, recovery coach, or peer support levels. Therefore, Recovery Capital can be applied as a best practice assessment tool to track the progress and outcomes of care from any point on the recovery continuum through a multi-year recovery journey toward health, wellness, and a perceived higher quality of life.

Exploring Recovery Capital History and Experts

Defining Recovery Capital


Recovery Capital refers to the internal and external resources necessary to achieve and sustain recovery. The Recovery Capital Model recognizes that a variety of dimensions — personal capital, social capital, community capital, emotional support, commitment to sobriety, and well-being — can support or jeopardize recovery depending on how individuals use their capital. Ongoing assessment of strengths and gaps in each dimension helps build a solid foundation in recovery over time.

The twenty-five (25) bulleted behaviors below are a subset of the ninety-six (96) listed in the R1 Discovery Cards deck and Facilitator Guide. Use the list below to think about your own Recovery Capital or someone you are working with and then answer the Questions to Explore below.

Personal Capital: My personal internal resources — such as my skills, values, education, health, hopes, and aspirations; and my external resources such as property and money. Discovery Cards include twenty-five (25) items to explore. Examples include:

  • I have a clearer sense of my values and am living them more fully today

  • I am learning and growing in areas of interest

  • I eat healthy, filling, and nutritious foods daily

  • I routinely engage in physical activity that I can do to strengthen my body, increase flexibility, and build endurance

  • I have financial resources to provide for myself (and my family)

Social Capital: My social resources and support from relationships with my social networks that require commitment or obligations (such as intimate relationships, family, friends, coworkers, and other social groups). Discovery Cards include twenty-five (25) items to explore. Examples include:

  • I have an intimate partner who is supportive of my recovery

  • I have sober friends that I enjoy spending time with

  • I have meaningful relationships with my family of origin (biological family)

  • I get the emotional support I need from other people

  • I actively reach out to friends to stay connected (e.g., by phone, text, email)

Community Capital: My access to local community resources such as reasonable housing, training, employment opportunities, and transportation. Discovery Cards include twenty-five (25) items to explore. Examples include:

  • I routinely collaborate with a peer that supports my recovery (someone also in recovery, coach, mentor, sponsor)

  • I regularly attend recovery group meetings (in-person. online)

  • I maintain healthy boundaries in my recovery community (e.g., emotional, material, physical, sexual, spiritual)

  • I participate in a work-related training or education program

  • I get help from substance use recovery professionals (e.g., counselors, therapists, recovery coaches, professional peer support)

Barriers and Unmet Needs

Barriers: The obstacles or barriers that prevent my access to or progress in building recovery strengths — such as ongoing substance use, risk around injecting practices, involvement with crime or the justice system, homelessness or insecure housing, and lack of meaningful activities. Discovery Cards include twenty-five (25) items to explore. Examples include:

  • I actively socialize with others who drink or use drugs problematically

  • I am homeless or have been at risk of being homeless in the past 30 days

  • I am not currently working full-time or part-time

  • I cannot obtain the medications prescribed to me

  • I am currently in a relationship that makes me feel unsafe

Unmet Needs: My perception of shortfalls or unmet needs in the professional support and help I receive in areas such as housing, substance use, employment, relationships, and primary and mental health. Discovery Cards include twenty-five (25) items to explore. Examples include:

  • I have not addressed my substance use counseling or treatment needs

  • I do not have safe and secure housing

  • I do not have adequate food for myself (and my family

  • I do not have adequate transportation

  • I do not have access to public assistance services

Questions to Explore

Answer these questions for yourself or someone you are working with.

  1. Did you find the Recovery Capital Model helpful in thinking about how to build and sustain recovery over time?

  2. Did the 5 Dimensions help you to better pinpoint specific strengths or gaps? How were these categories helpful?

  3. Which dimensions were most prominent in your list? Does this make sense?

  4. As you look back over relevant drinking or using history, what was most helpful from the list? Least helpful?

  5. Which specific Recovery Capital behaviors do you think will be most important to strengthen?

  6. What action can you take to help you address these areas and make them strengths in the future?

  7. Who can you ask for help and support?

Measuring Recovery Capital — The Recovery Capital Screener (RCS-36)

Grounded in the Latest Research and Best Practices
We have chosen to design our Discovery Cards tool based on the latest research and international work of Dr. David Best. This latest version of the Recovery Capital Model leverages the current research and findings that go beyond the original elements defined in the earlier fifty question Assessment of Recovery Capital (ARC) and its condensed version, the Brief Assessment of Recovery Capital (BARC). It’s roots are also in the latest versions of REC-CAP. R1 Learning works with organizations to implement the R1 RC Toolkit as part of their measurement outcomes strategies.

 

Experiencing Recovery Capital — The Discovery Cards

The R1 Learning System and the Discovery Cards provide an engaging, interactive, and personalized approach for training practitioners and engaging individuals in service. R1 provides training, tools, and resources to support programs with different populations and settings and practitioners at all levels of knowledge, skill, and experience. The Discovery Cards and Group Kits provide a hands-on, concrete, and vocabulary building experience to learn and apply Recovery Capital to real life circumstances and experiences.

References

Groshkova, T., Best, D. & White, W. (2011) Recovery Group Participation Scale (RGPS): factor structure in alcohol and heroin recovery populations. Journal of Groups in Addiction and Recovery, 6, 76-92.

Groshkova, T., Best, D. & White, W. (2012) The Assessment of Recovery Capital: Properties and psychometrics of a measure of addiction recovery strengths. Drug and Alcohol Review, 32(2):187-94

Cano, I., Best, Edwards, M. & Lehman, J. (2017) Recovery capital pathways: Mapping the components of recovery well-being, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 181, 11-19.

Best, D. (2019) Pathways to dissidence and recovery: The role of the social contagion of hope. Policy Press: Bristol.

Copyright 2023 R1 Publishing LLC / All Rights Reserved. Use of this article for any purpose is prohibited without permission.

Engage, Educate, and Measure Outcomes

Recovery Capital Resources
The R1 RCA Assessment, the R1 Learning System, and the Discovery Cards Group Kits enable programs to implement Recovery Capital strategically. Contact us to learn more about how to best implement Recovery Capital in your program, train your team, and engage clients in service. Visit the R1 Store to learn more about a variety of other R1 topics that support Recovery Capital. The Discovery Cards are an amazing tool for exploring these topics with individuals or groups.

Here are a few ideas to help you learn more about R1 and engage others on this topic:

  1. Share this blog post with others. (Thank you!)   

  2. Start a conversation with your team. Bring this information to your next team meeting or share it with your supervisor. Change starts in conversations. Good luck! Let us know how it goes.   

  3. Visit www.R1LEARNING.com to learn more about R1, the Discovery Cards, and how we’re creating engaging learning experiences through self-discovery.  

 
Tom Karl