This toolkit has been produced by Adfam and family members affected by the co-occurring conditions of substance use disorders and mental ill-health. It is designed for practitioners who support those caring for a loved one who is having difficulties with their mental health and substance use. This will include substance use and mental health practitioners, family support workers, housing officers and advocacy practitioners, among others.

To help us to understand the impact that this caring role can have, we have consulted with families and professionals across the country and heard a vast range of experiences. We learnt that many families supporting a loved one face barriers to support - such as stigma, strain on services and a lack of understanding among professionals- all of which can have a negative impact on their own mental and physical health.

The toolkit is intended to offer practitioners some simple but effective tools to help to overcome those barriers and help families to cope more effectively with the challenges they face. It contains suggestions and resources that practitioners can use in their work but is not intended as a substitute for counselling or therapeutic input for families.