Family members often know little about mental illness, less about substance use, and even less about how the two interact. Educating family members about the nature of dual disorders and the principles of their treatment decreases the sense of isolation many families feel when trying to cope with their situation.

Stress in families of clients with co-occurring disorders can worsen the course of the disorders, weaken family bonds, and threaten clients with the loss of important social supports. Decreasing this stress improves treatment by enhancing the well-being of all family members so they're able to function more effectively.

When family and friends learn about treatment, they can be more active in encouraging and supporting a client in following his or her treatment plan.

Practitioners often dismiss family members' efforts to have input. Likewise, many families have little no contact with treatment providers. Poor communication between the family and the treatment team makes it difficult to respond to changes in the client. It can also result in family members not supporting and even undermining the treatment goals. Finally, a lack of contact can hinder the practitioner's ability to identify and address family and cultural factors.

Family members sometimes appear to work at cross-purposes with the practitioner. They have the same ultimate goals as the practitioner but may lack knowledge of current treatment approaches. Educating them about the rationale behind recommended treatments can help them align their efforts with those of the treatment team.

A major goal of family work is to reduce substance use. An equally important goal is to reduce the impact of substance use on family and friends, which can overwhelm their coping resources and lead to a withdrawal of support.