Brief Assessment of Recovery Capital (BARC-10)

Foundational Context

“Recovery capital” refers to the breadth of internal strengths and external supports that promote sustained recovery from substance use. This concept recognizes that recovery involves more than abstinence—it encompasses psychological wellbeing, social stability, community connectedness, health, purpose, and resilience.

The BARC-10 was created to provide a concise, reliable alternative to the longer Assessment of Recovery Capital (ARC), which, while comprehensive, can be impractical in many settings. Through rigorous factor analysis and validation work (Vilsaint et al., 2017), researchers identified 10 items that best represented the multidimensional construct of recovery capital. The result is a highly efficient tool that maintains strong psychometric integrity while fitting naturally into clinical workflows.

What the Assessment Measures

The BARC-10 captures a holistic picture of recovery readiness and sustainability across domains that matter most for long-term wellbeing.

The assessment measures:

• Personal recovery strengths — confidence, coping skills, problem-solving abilities
• Social support — connection to people who encourage recovery
• Community involvement — meaningful engagement or supportive environments
• Physical and mental health stability — capacity to maintain wellness
• Housing and financial stability — practical resources supporting recovery
• Sense of purpose and growth — personal development and direction

These elements collectively reflect the individual’s overall “recovery capital.”

Interpretation Guidelines

The BARC-10 produces a single total score ranging from 10 to 60. Higher scores indicate greater recovery capital, meaning the person has more resources to sustain long-term recovery.

Interpretation Notes:

• There are no universal clinical cutoffs; scores are comparative.
• Use patterns over time to identify growth, plateaus, or areas of vulnerability.
• Lower scores may signal the need for targeted support (e.g., housing, social connection, mental health care).
• Higher scores reflect strengths, resilience, and increased likelihood of stable recovery—but do not guarantee abstinence or remission.
• Interpretation should consider cultural context, stigma, economic stability, and access to care.

The BARC-10 supports collaborative conversation, helping clinicians frame recovery as a strengths-based, ongoing process.

Psychometric Properties

Reliability

• Strong internal consistency (as reported by Vilsaint et al., 2017)
• Reliable across diverse recovery populations
• Parallel performance to the full ARC despite significant item reduction

Validity

• Strong convergent validity with wellbeing and quality-of-life measures
• Predictive relationships with sustained recovery and reduced relapse risk
• Retains the multidimensional recovery framework established by the original ARC
• Sensitivity to change over time, making it appropriate for outcome monitoring

Administration Considerations

• Brief and easy to complete in any treatment or recovery setting
• Works well in outpatient services, residential programs, peer support environments, and telehealth
• Best administered in a supportive, collaborative context (reduces defensiveness, encourages honesty)
• Individuals with literacy challenges may benefit from clinician-assisted administration
• Suitable for repeated measures to track progress and emerging strengths

Limitations

• Not intended as a diagnostic tool
• Does not directly assess substance-use severity
• Self-report bias may affect accuracy
• Lacks population-specific norms (e.g., age, gender, socioeconomic groups)
• Scores alone cannot determine recovery outcomes; context is essential