Family Addiction Program in Broomfield, CO | Foundry Front Range

Addiction affects entire families. Our specialized family addiction treatment program helps spouses, parents, siblings, and adult children heal alongside their loved one, with or without them in treatment.

Why Family Treatment Matters

Addiction is a family disease. When one person struggles with substance use, the entire family system is affected, often in ways that perpetuate the cycle across generations. Today’s standard medical model typically focuses on treating one individual. But at Foundry Front Range, we recognize that the person seeking treatment is often part of a larger family system in which multiple people are experiencing the impact of addictive disorders or mental illness.

Our Family Addiction Program was designed to address this reality head-on, providing structured education, therapy, and coaching to bring families into the recovery process alongside their loved ones.

Multiple studies confirm that addiction and mental health disorders can affect multiple generations, through genetic factors, learned behaviors, and systemic family trauma. Whole-family treatment significantly improves long-term outcomes for everyone involved.

Who This Program Serves

This program is open to any family affected by addiction. You do not need to have a loved one currently enrolled in our treatment program to participate. Our family programming is available to any family navigating the impact of substance use disorder.

• Spouses & Partners: Understand the disease of addiction, establish healthy boundaries, and learn how to support recovery without enabling.
• Parents & Siblings: Process your own pain, release guilt, and discover how to participate in a loved one’s recovery in a healthy, constructive way.
• Adult Children: Heal from the effects of growing up in a home affected by addiction and build a new, healthy relationship with your parent in recovery.

Program Components

Foundry Front Range Clinical Advisor Dr. Michael Barnes created the Michael Barnes Family Institute, a unique two-level program that forms the backbone of our family addiction programming. Developed by Dr. Michael Barnes using insights from forty years of clinical experience and research, and built in collaboration with Life Lab Studios at Arizona State University, Barnes Family Institute combines specialized curriculum, coaching, and group work to help families address the pervasive effects of addictive disorders.

All Foundry Front Range clients receive Level 101 Michael Barnes Family Institute programming as part of their treatment plan. The program provides a unique opportunity to address long-standing issues affecting entire families, and our hope is that by treating one individual well, the benefits extend to their entire circle of loved ones.

How the Program Is Delivered

The Michael Barnes Family Institute is delivered through the MBFI App, a mobile and web-based learning environment families can access from a phone, tablet, or computer. This flexibility allows family members to read materials, complete assignments, and engage with their coach on their own schedule: around work, childcare, and household responsibilities that often prevent families from participating in traditional in-person programming.

Each participant works with a dedicated coach who conducts an initial assessment, develops a personalized care plan, and responds to written assignments within 48 hours. Families also engage with one another directly inside the app (reading and responding to each other’s stories) creating peer connection alongside individual coaching.

Three Integrated Pathways to Family Recovery

1. Specialized Family Psychoeducation

A rich library of pre-recorded video content, available to any identified family member, covering the most important topics in addiction and family recovery.

• The disease of addiction explained in depth
• How addiction affects the entire family system
• The neuroscience and psychology of substance use
• Supporting a loved one without enabling
• The process of recovery and what to expect
• Self-care strategies for family members

2. Group Family Therapy

Telehealth-based family support groups that pair psychoeducation content with live, facilitated interaction between family members and expert group facilitators.

• Virtual format, attend from anywhere
• Expert facilitators guide every session
• Reinforces and deepens psychoeducation topics
• Connects you with families sharing similar experiences
• A safe, non-judgmental environment
• Flexible scheduling for busy families

3. Individual Family Coaching (optional)

Optional one-on-one coaching that goes beyond group work to address the unique needs, dynamics, and goals of your specific family situation.

• Personalized work on your family’s specific dynamics
• Promotes practical, lasting behavioral changes
• Works with all participating family members
• Recovery-oriented and solution-focused
• Blame-free, strengths-based approach
• Coordinates with the treatment team when applicable

What to Expect

We know reaching out is one of the hardest steps. Here’s exactly what happens when you contact our team:

Step 1: A Confidential Conversation. You’ll speak with a compassionate admissions specialist, not a call center, who will listen to your situation without judgment and answer every question you have.

Step 2: Insurance Verification. We’ll check your insurance benefits for free through our HIPAA-compliant system, so you know what’s covered before making any decisions.

Step 3: Personalized Program Fit. We’ll assess which program components are the right fit for your family’s situation, needs, and goals, whether or not your loved one is enrolling in treatment.

Step 4: Onboarding & Access. You’ll receive access to psychoeducation content, be scheduled for group sessions, and if appropriate, be connected with an individual family coach.

Step 5: Ongoing Family Support. Family programming continues alongside treatment, and beyond. Recovery is a long-term journey, and we’re here to support your family every step of the way.

Evidence-Based Outcomes

What we’ve learned from families using the program.

A pilot study of the MBFI App documented several outcomes that families and clinicians consistently report:

• Reduced barriers to participation. The self-paced, app-based format mitigates the work, childcare, and household pressures that typically prevent family members from engaging in traditional family programming.
• Social support equivalent to in-person formats. Despite early concerns that a virtual program might compromise connection, the app-based format delivered the same quality of social support as prior in-person and Zoom-only programs.
• Powerful peer connection through shared stories. Family members consistently report that reading other families’ stories normalizes their experience and reduces isolation — often surprising participants who joined skeptical of a virtual format.

Over the course of the program, families also report observable behavioral shifts: more self-responsibility language (“my response, my boundary, my regulation”) replacing constant monitoring of the loved one; boundaries that are more realistic and repeatable; greater capacity to regulate during difficult conversations; and reduced isolation through peer normalization and community reinforcement.

What Families Say:

In their own words.

“When you commented on my story… I was just like, oh my God, I’m not alone.” — Family member

“I can’t control where he is… I’ll just do some breathing. I don’t have any control over that disease. All I can help is myself.” — Family member

“I love being able to comment on the stories — it’s reaffirming that I’m not alone, that other people are in the same place.” — Family member

“If I’m working on myself, then I’m less apt to be focused on what he’s doing. Keep your side of the street clean.” — Family member

Family Program FAQs

Here are some questions people ask about our Family Programs at Foundry Frount Rage Addiction Treatment Center.

Does my loved one need to be enrolled at Foundry Front Range for our family to participate?

No. Any family with a member affected by substance use disorder can access our family programming, regardless of whether they are currently in treatment at our facility. We believe family healing should not be contingent on one person’s treatment timeline.

What is the Michael Barnes Family Institute?

The Michael Barnes Family Institute is a research-informed, two-level family program developed by Dr. Michael Barnes, a clinician with over 40 years of experience in family systems and addiction. All Foundry clients receive Level 101 programming, with the option to continue at Level 201 for deeper work.

What is enabling, and how does the program address it?

The term enabling often carries stigma and can inadvertently cause more harm than good. Many actions labeled as “enabling” actually stem from genuine love, concern, and the desire to maintain family safety, they’re not character failures. Enabling typically involves behaviors that prevent a loved one from facing the natural consequences of their addiction: financial support, covering up, taking over responsibilities, or avoiding difficult conversations.

The Michael Barnes Family Institute helps families understand the deeper emotional drivers behind these behaviors (avoiding accumulated stress, maintaining a sense of safety, preserving normalcy) and then equips them with tools to address those underlying causes rather than simply telling family members to “stop enabling.” This approach reduces shame and produces more sustainable change in family dynamics.

Is family therapy covered by insurance?

Many insurance plans cover family programming components. We recommend verifying your benefits through our HIPAA-compliant insurance verification form or by calling our admissions team directly at (720) 807-7867. There is no cost or obligation to verify.

How does addiction affect the whole family, not just the individual?

Research consistently shows that substance use disorders impact multiple generations. Family members often develop enabling behaviors, trauma responses, and dysfunctional roles over time. Without targeted support, these patterns can persist and even contribute to relapse, which is why family treatment is so important.

Can I attend group sessions if I live out of state?

Yes. Our Group Family Therapy sessions are delivered via telehealth, which means any family member can participate from anywhere, no travel required. This is especially important for extended family members who want to be involved but aren’t local to Broomfield, CO.

How is individual family coaching different from therapy?

Individual family coaching is a solution-focused, practical approach that works on specific family dynamics, communication patterns, and behavioral changes. It is recovery-oriented and works alongside, not in place of, therapy. Our coaches work with all willing family members to promote positive change for the whole system.

Your Family’s Healing Starts Here

An admissions specialist is available right now to answer your questions, verify your insurance, and help you find the right path forward, for your loved one and for you.