REC-CAP Assessment & Recovery Planning Tool

“Longitudinal studies have repeatedly demonstrated that addictions treatment (particularly for 90 or more days) is associated with major reductions in substance use, problems and costs to society … However, post-discharge relapse and eventual re-admission are also the norm …The risk of relapse does not appear to abate until 4 to 5 years of abstinence … Retrospective and prospective treatment studies report that most clients undergo 3 to 4 episodes of care before reaching a stable state of abstinence … In spite of this evidence of chronicity and multiple episodes of care, most … treatment continues to be characterized as relatively self-encapsulated, serial episodes of acute treatment with post discharge aftercare typically limited to passive referrals to self-help groups.”

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Report to Congress

REC-CAP: The Bridge from Treatment to Self-Directed Recovery

REC-CAP stands for Recovery Capital and is an evidence-based assessment & recovery planning instrument developed by Dr. David Best that:

Assesses an individual’s recovery strengths, barriers and unmet service needs
Supports trained navigators to guide individuals in the execution of concrete recovery goals
Delivers longitudinal measurement of recovery capital gains over quarterly intervals

REC CAP is appropriate for implementation in both clinical and peer settings, bridging the gap between a client’s exiting addiction treatment and assuming responsibility for self-directed recovery.

What is Recovery Capital?

Recovery Capital is the breadth and depth of internal and external resources that can be drawn upon to initiate and sustain recovery from alcohol or drug problems. (Granfield and Cloud 2004). Recovery Capital is conceptually linked to natural recovery, solution-focused recovery therapy, strengths-based case management, recovery management, resilience and protective factors, and the ideas of hardiness, wellness, and global health.

Recovery Capital: A Primer for Addiction Professionals, William L. White, MA and William Cloud, Ph.D (2008)

REC-CAP

The REC-CAP utilizes a comprehensive set of recovery assessment tools (Commitment to Recovery, Recovery Barriers, Unmet Service Needs, Recovery Group Involvement, Meaningful Activities, etc) to create a clear and accurate picture of exactly where the client is at. The results of the assessment generate a visual report that the program then uses, in conjunction with a trained Peer Navigator associated with the program, to develop a framework of Recovery Goals that create a finite and concrete pathway to successful, long-term recovery.

The Process

Assessment Completion
The process begins with the client’s completion of the REC-CAP Assessment. A baseline assessment is administered when the client first arrives at the program. The client is then re-assessed on a monthly or quarterly basis, depending on the intensity of the program’s platform, with the intent of identifying recovery capital gains and to identify any persistent barriers or unmet service needs.

REC CAP assessment is organized under nine sections: Demographics, Quality of Life & Satisfaction, Barriers to Recovery, Services Involvement & Needs, Personal Recovery Readiness, Social Recovery Capital, Involvements with Recovery Groups and Local Community, Commitment, and What do you See As Your Needs? These nine sections evaluate the entire spectrum of recovery from a strength-based perspective and the results are as meaningful at ten years of recovery as they are at ten days.

This process encourages continued focus on the achievement of recovery goals.
Assessment Results
The results of the REC-CAP Assessment generate a results summary color-coded the same way as a traffic light. Red items are areas where a barrier exists or a strength is absent, yellow items that are moderately acceptable but perhaps need additional work, and green items indicating strength or the absence of a barrier. Unmet service needs are also identified based on involvement, satisfaction, and desire for additional help.

With a bit of guidance, these results become a powerful, collaborative tool that the client and navigator utilize to frame a Recovery Plan tailored to the client’s needs.
Goal Mapping
REC CAP quantifies client strengths in four categories: personal, social, well-being and support & commitment. The node-link map helps trained navigators to visualize assessment results and guide clients in establishing concrete goals to achieve resiliency. Barriers and unmet service needs are mapped to concrete goals designed to address them, alongside existing strengths that the client already brings to the table.
Recovery Navigation
Navigational support is frequently vital to sustain resiliency during early stages of the client’s recovery journey. Navigators are peer mentors with experience living fulfilling lives in recovery, not just clinicians with an academic understanding. Navigators help the client to create finite, concrete goals and then mentor, monitor and measure goal achievement as clients execute their self-directed recovery plan. These navigational sessions are typically one hour in length and may take place on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis.