Implementing the Substance Use Disorder Provisions of the Family First Prevention Services Act

This project was funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. We thank them for their support but acknowledge that the findings and conclusions presented in this report are those of the author(s) alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Foundation.

The 2018 Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First) offers child welfare agencies and their substance use disorder (SUD) treatment partners a historic chance to expand and enhance family-centered interventions that improve outcomes for children and families affected by SUDs.

The law seeks to keep more children safely at home by providing high-quality prevention services to families. To meet this goal, it is important that child welfare and SUD stakeholders have the information and resources to work collaboratively toward successful planning and implementation.

Children and Family Futures (CFF), the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD), and ChildFocus have collaborated to produce an implementation toolkit focused on the SUD provisions in Family First. The toolkit equips state leaders with information and resources to work collaboratively toward successful implementation of the law.

Watch Our Webinar Recording Below

This webinar provides an overview of the SUD provisions of the Family First Prevention Services Act, highlights the five key sections of, Implementing the Substance Use Disorder Provisions of the Family First Prevention Services Act: A Toolkit for Child Welfare and Treatment Stakeholders, and raises key questions and next steps to consider while planning for implementation of the law.

Implementing the Substance Use Disorder Provisions of the Family First Prevention Services Act: A Toolkit for Child Welfare and Treatment Stakeholders

The toolkit is comprised of five key sections, which can be used in combination or as separate documents for jurisdictions looking to focus on one aspect of the law at a time.

Section 1: Understand Key Opportunities and Lay the Groundwork for Collaboration

Section 2: Determine Evidence-Based Treatment Programs and Services Most Appropriate for Children and Families In or At Risk of Entering Foster Care

Section 3: Leverage Family First to Expand Residential Family-Based Treatment

Section 4: Develop a Comprehensive Understanding of Available Funding Streams

Section 5: Create Strong Partnerships to Maximize Success

FFPSA Implementation Challenges and Strategies

This paper, a companion to Implementing the Substance Use Disorder Provisions of the Family First Prevention Services Act: A Toolkit for Child Welfare and Treatment Stakeholders, highlights three main challenges states have encountered in implementing these provisions and offers opportunities to resolve them. As with the toolkit, stakeholders who oversee state SUD treatment services for pregnant and parenting women lent their perspectives to the white paper.

For more information about this project or the Family First Prevention Services Act, please send us an email or use the Contact Us form on the bottom of this page.

FEATURED PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES 

Through federally- and foundation-funded projects, Children and Family Futures and its small business subsidiary, Center for Children and Family Futures, produces publications, reports, Technical Assistance tools and web-based learning for the field. The following are featured resources from our work. For more resources or information related to a specific topic, please visit our resources page or click the “Request Assistance” button below or at the top of the page.