The STAR Matrix is a groundbreaking clinical tool developed by the Addiction Research Foundation.

It measures both:

1. Severity — The level of difficulty a person is experiencing with substance use.
2. Diversity — The range of life areas affected or improved during recovery.

Most treatment programs focus on compliance — did the client show up, take the test, follow the rules?

The STAR Matrix focuses on capacity and progress:

• What strengths does the client already have?
• What readiness do they bring to recovery?

How is their quality of life improving, even before complete abstinence?

Developed through:

• Years of clinical practice in diverse treatment settings.
• Outcome studies tracking real client progress over time.
• Peer collaboration with clinicians across disciplines.

• Assessment — Plot the client’s starting point on the STAR grid.
• Planning — Match interventions to their unique combination of severity and diversity.
• Tracking — Use repeated measures to show progress in real time.

Clients can literally see their progress.

The STAR diagram grows and changes with them, turning abstract “treatment goals” into something tangible and motivating.