AFINet Webinar 17 July, 2025

Developing a Self-sufficient 5-Step Method Service

We can support an organisation or a country to become self-sufficient in their use of the 5-Step Method. For example, a country wide scheme has been introduced in the Republic of Ireland and similar schemes are being introduced in New Zealand and the Netherlands.

Developing a self-sufficient 5-Step Method service is achieved by providing training in four areas.

• Accredited Practitioners This involves submitting audio-recordings of sessions carried out with consenting family members. Practitioners self-assess themselves against key competencies and only submit once they assess that they are competent. An accredited assessor then listens to the recordings and rates the practitioner against the same key competencies. Irrespective of whether they meet the competency thresholds, a numeric score and useful feedback to improve competency is given for each Step. Practitioners have told us that they find this very useful and it has really helped improve their skills. Certificates are given on completion and Professional Development points have been gained in various countries (depending on country and profession-requirements).
• Accredited Trainers A 2-day course  or on line zoom course in 4- half days, followed by the participants running and video-taping their own 5-Step Method training. The video-tapes are then assessed against a the Trainers Competency Framework. Accredited Trainers can then go on and run 5-Step Method training which will allow participants to follow the process described above to become Accredited Practitioners. Ideally, accredited trainers should already be accredited practitioners but there can be exceptions to this.
• Accredited Assessors Accredited Practitioners/Trainers (with some exceptions to this) are trained to assess others to become Accredited Practitioners via Assessors Competency Framework and repeated feedback until trainee assessors reach the same standard as existing Accredited Assessors. Accredited Assessors can then support the work of their own organisation (or organisations elsewhere in their country or in other countries) to assess whether other practitioners have reached the competency requirements to become accredited practitioners.
• Additionally, we support organisations to have a system in place for collecting, collating, analysing and interpreting data collected using the FMQ. We also agree the means by which anonymised FMQ data can be shared with AFINet (as per the MOU that will be in place).

To discuss how your organisation or country could become self-sufficient in the 5-Step Method and the associated costs please contact us at 5stepmethod@gmail.com

Training for Practitioners

The 5-Step Method should only be used by practitioners who have been trained. Training can be adapted to your organisation and be delivered face to face, or via zoom and can be a mixture of half day sessions and self learning. For training courses via zoom, please contact candf2021@outlook.com for application form. This covers 14 hours facilitated content; Training materials; Practitioner exercises; Comprehensive accreditation assessment for 5 steps.

Before training can take place we ask for sign-up (often in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding or MOU) from both the practitioner who is being trained AND from their organisation/line-manager.  This agreement covers:

• Details of the training (and supporting resources etc.) and what is expected of each party.
• Commitment that all practitioners who sign up will complete the training.
• Commitment from each practitioner that, once trained, they will implement the intervention.
• Commitment from line-manager that each trained practitioner will be supported to use the intervention (e.g. time, room), and that an organisation will have the appropriate delivery framework in place to support use of the 5-Step Method (e.g. recording data, assessments, policies and procedures).
• A team or organisation will share (following the appropriate consent and data sharing procedures) basic anonymous client data (covering demographics and the Family Member Questionnaire outcome tool but no identifiable data).

Training for Managers and Supervisors

It is important for managers and supervisors to understand the 5-Step Method, even if they will not be practitioners themselves. We can offer a bespoke half day training course for managers and supervisors (this can be done face-to-face or online), which will support them in understanding the 5-Step Method, and what is expected of both practitioners who are trained to use the intervention and the organisations where it will be introduced.

Please contact us to find out more at 5stepmethod@gmail.com

Outcome Measurement (the Family Member Questionnaire)

To support therapeutic 5-Step Method practice, and to continue building the global evidence base for the 5-Step Method, we have developed the validated Family Member Questionnaire (FMQ). This is primarily for use with family members affected by a loved one’s alcohol, drug or gambling problem. The FMQ is the best way for practitioners, organisations, commissioners, and family members themselves, to assess whether the 5-Step Method has helped family members.

The FMQ should be completed by each family member before they start the intervention (ideally as part of an assessment or very early in the first session) and then again towards the end of Step 5 (ideally after the review of Steps 1-4 has been completed). If possible, we also suggest that the FMQ is completed on a third occasion, perhaps as a 3-month follow-up.

The FMQ, together with guidance for its use, scoring and interpretation, can be found in the FMQ box: see link The Family Member Questionnaire (FMQ) Please contact your 5-Step Method nominated person to ensure that you have the correct administrative version of the FMQ for your team/organisation.

© The FMQ is copyright to AFINET. It should not be revised or altered in any way as this will affect its validity although it can be adapted to be administered online. The FMQ can be added to organisational IT systems that are used for the purpose of holding client data.

We are happy to work with organisations to support your analysis of the FMQ data that you collect – for example, by providing a spreadsheet that you can use to collate and analyse your FMQ data.

As part of your agreement with AFINet to use the 5-Step Method, we ask that you (with the appropriate consent and data sharing practices) share anonymised FMQ data with us (along with some basic, non-identifiable demographic information about family member clients). The data that you share with us will be used to build and promote the global evidence base of the 5-Step Method, and can be used at local, regional, country and international levels to promote policy and practice change that is required to ensure that more affected family members receive the help that they so badly need.

Other versions of the 5-Step Method use different outcome questionnaires or have other ways to assess the impact of the intervention. For example, Steps to Cope uses the READ (Resilience Scale for Adolescents). Please contact your nominated 5-Step Method person or contact us at 5stepmethod@gmail.com to find out more.

Practitioner Skills and Accreditation

If you really want to develop your competency and ensure fidelity to the model while delivering the intervention, the best way is to become an 5-Step Method accredited practitioner.  For organisations who want to ensure that there is high quality practice in place, accreditation and on-going supervision ensure this.

Everyone who has gone through accreditation says they have found the process very worthwhile – have a look at the Video Presentation and the Expert Panel Discussion.

To support the process, click on the following documents which are also located in the Guidance, Handbooks & Other Reading section:

• Template: Practitioners Competency Form
• Guidelines: Practitioners Accreditation
• Checklist: Practitioners Competency
• Guidance: Common Problems

We can provide you with expert guidance via a Zoom call. You will need to provide a tape for each Step that has been audio recorded with a Family Member (consent needs to be given for this) and self assess yourself using the Practitioners Competency Form.  Accredited Assessors will then assess your tape using a similar Competency Form. You will receive a huge amount of high quality feedback to enhance your practice.

There is a cost to this as it can take an Accredited Assessor up to 15 hours to complete this process. The cost will vary depending on the type of organisation and how much support is needed. Please contact 5stepmethod@gmail.com

Competency Skills Framework

The competency framework is an essential resource for 5-Step Method training and practice. It covers 35 skills which ensure that trained practitioners can become, and remain, competent and confident users of the 5-Step Method – these are summarised in the diagram below and in the video presentation. Please see the Template and Guidance in Guidance, Handbooks & Other Reading

Click here for the Practitioner Competency Form

5-Step Method Competency Framework

 © The Competency Skills Framework is copyrighted to AFINet – it cannot be reprinted, reproduced, photocopied, altered or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means invented, without prior permission in writing from AFINet. The skills framework should not be used by, copied or shared with people who have not been trained to use the 5-Step Method – an exception would be the person who is supervising or managing your work if they are not themselves a 5-Step Method practitioner.

There are variations to the skills framework for some of the different versions of the 5-Step Method that are available – you will have been given the correct one for whichever version[s] of the intervention you are using. These different versions of the skills framework will be added to the website in due course.