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Counselor Training & Certification

Learn how to guide the families into stable recovery and reduce relapse. The Structured Family Recovery (SFR) Counselor Training incorporates ASAM’s Dimension 6 and the principles of It Takes a Family to create and enhance family recovery teams. The training also explores the success of Physician Health Programs, which provide eight essential elements for lasting sobriety. You will learn how to help families through a full year of content-rich work. The textbook for this training is: It Takes a Family, 2nd edition, by Debra Jay, MA (Hazelden, 2021).

Virtual Training re-imagined

It Takes a Family, by Debra Jay

You will learn directly from the creator of Structured Family Recovery®, Debra Jay, in person. Six days, 27 CEUs–all virtual– in an small group of clinical professionals.

Debra and Jeff Jay redefined professional education with their clinical interventionist training at Betty Ford Center and The Retreat. The Structured Family Recovery® Counselor training and certification expands on this innovative and challenging design for learning. Participants will gain a strong skill set they can apply immediately to their work. They will also learn a new way to expand their professional practice.

We believe in raising the bar of excellence and, in doing so, elevating the reputation of the addiction treatment profession. This training expands family support during and after treatment, and carries a family through 48 weekly sessions.

Debra Jay, MA, will facilitate all sessions.

See Dates/Times

 

“The SFR® training with Debra Jay was by far the best I have ever had. As the owner of an Intensive Outpatient Treatment Center, I have incorporated many of the concepts in to our work and we are already beginning to see dramatic changes.”

Lois Jordan, LCSW, LCDC
Owner & Director of Solutions Outpatient Services, Dallas, TX

“Debra Jay unlocks the secrets of this revolutionary approach [the New Paradigm] to addiction…  The author highlights the essential element of the approach as no one else has: the crucial role of the addict’s family.”

Robert DuPont, MD
1st Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse

“In over 20 years of specializing in family systems and addiction, I’ve never seen families change so quickly. As a matter of fact, I see things happen in 2 to 3 weeks that, as a profession, we just weren’t able to make happen before.”

Steve Hanna, MA
Licensed Professional Counselor

What you’ll learn

  • How to facilitate family recovery
  • Evidence-based behavior design
  • Advanced SFR group skills
  • How to design a Relapse Plan
  • How to create a Recovery Plan
  • Red-Yellow-Green Light Protocol 

What you’ll experience

  • Active Learning – no fluff
  • Dynamic simulations
  • Re-imagined virtual training
  • 27 CEs/CEUs
  • Supervision of 3 SFR cases
  • Presented in-person by Debra Jay
Read the Curriculum
Debra Jay

Debra Jay reads It Takes a Family

–Introduction & Chapter 1–

Early registration discount:

$2100, until 8/15/25

$2400, after 8/15/25
(Read our refund policy Here)

A Virtual Training Experience

All webinars are presented LIVE

with Debra Jay

October 8, 2025 – October 18, 2025

Active Learning Sessions

Weds, 10/8/25, 7:00- 9:00 PM, Eastern (2 hrs)
Thurs, 10/9/25, 5:00 – 10:00 pm, Eastern (5 hrs)
Fri, 10/10/25, 5:00 – 10:00 PM, Eastern (5 hrs)

SFR Simulation & Practicum

Sat, 10/11/25, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, Eastern (8 hrs)
Sun, 10/12/25, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, Eastern (8 hrs)
Sat, 10/18/25 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, Eastern (8 hrs)

All Virtual

Get certified in Structured Family Recovery®

Requirements for admission

Structured Family Recovery® Counselor Training and Certification is open to experienced addiction professionals: therapists, counselors, social Structured Family Recovery® certified counselor sealworkers, psychologists, addictionologists, and other clinical professionals in the addiction field. In order to apply for this training, a participant must meet the requirements shown below.
(Also note possible exceptions.)

1. Three years full-time or five years part-time relevant clinical experience in the addiction field.

2. Strong knowledge and personal experience in any of the Twelve Step programs.

3. Advanced degree with certification in addiction counseling OR bachelor degree with certification in addiction counseling (CADC, CAP, or other).

4. We ask all applicants to submit a current resume. Apply Here.

EXCEPTIONS: Pastoral care clergy with Twelve Step experience, appropriate staff from HPRP or JLAP programs, and other appropriate professionals with strong addiction treatment and Twelve Step experience will be considered. If you think you should be considered for an exception, please contact us, and be prepared to send your resume and cover letter with a detailed explanation. This training is not open to sobriety coaches and other para-professionals. If you do not meet these requirement, please see below for the Structured Family Recovery® Administrative Certification.

Structured Family Recovery® Administrative Certification

Non-clinical treatment staff can also take the SFR training. Admissions personnel, executive administrators, and other experienced professionals can benefit greatly from an intimate knowledge of Structured Family Recovery. Please contact us to be considered for an administrative certification.

Students who complete the training and three supervisions with Debra Jay (included) will earn the right to display the seal above on their website with an explanatory link. Administrative students will receive a certificate of completion.

Apply online

To ask questions: 888-220-4400
(outside the USA, +1-313-882-6921)
or email us

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Copyright © 2000-2024 Love First, Inc. All rights reserved. Amazon links are affiliate links. ••• Structured Family Recovery® is a Registered Trademark of Debra Jay.
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