Background

This chapter examines practical applications of building recovery capital. Using a case study approach involving the implementation of the REC-CAP (Cano et al, 2017; Best et al, 2023), we highlight how the results and analyses influenced social policy in the state of Virginia in the United States. The ‘REC-CAP assessment’, embedded in the Advanced Recovery Management System (ARMS), is used to measure recovery capital and inform personalized recovery plans to guide interventions. This chapter navigates recovery capital in policy and practice by exploring various ways in which it has been applied, documenting existing applications, and discussing its transformative effect on individual behaviour and community capacity. In an attempt to grasp both theory and practical elements of the recovery capital concept, a brief history of the REC-CAP is presented, alongside authentic examples of how the measurement of recovery capital has influenced policies and practices around addiction recovery. Our aim is to fill gaps in the current understanding of recovery capital implementation, with implications toward future research, practices, and policies. The story conveys recovery capital as a transformative change agent among individuals and communities.

For far too long, the behavioural health space has focused on deficits. Individuals struggling with substance use disorder were depicted as incomplete puzzles, defined by their missing pieces and rough misshapen edges. Recovery, if imagined at all, was often perceived as a laborious process of patching up these perceived shortcomings and vulnerabilities, brick by agonizing brick.