Identifying substance use disorders among families involved with child welfare

We offer training and technical assistance for systems to work together to implement screening protocols that identify persons affected by substance use and mental disorders. Technical assistance involves helping agencies determine the appropriate validated screening tools and implement a comprehensive, collaborative screening and assessment protocol to assist in families’ successful engagement and retention in services that lead to positive treatment outcomes.

Research shows that prompt entry into substance use disorder treatment significantly increases the length of time parents spend in treatment and increases the likelihood of parents’ treatment completion and reunification with children.1,2,3

Parents are more likely to receive a prompt referral to substance use and mental disorder assessment and treatment if the child welfare agency engages in universal screening using a validated screening tool and if there is a memorandum of understanding between treatment providers and child welfare to guarantee priority access to assessment and treatment.4 We have experience supporting communities in implementing universal screening and collaborative screening protocols that ensure quick entry to substance use disorder assessment and treatment.

CFF ACTIVITIES

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CFF has disseminated over 25,400 materials related to screening and assessment since 2016
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CFF has responded to over 1,400 technical assistance requests about screening and assessment since 2016

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.

  1. Neo, S. H. F., Norton, S., Kavallari, D., & Canfield, M. (2021). Integrated treatment programmes for mothers with substance use problems: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to prevent out-of-home child placements. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 30(11), 2877–2889. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-02099-8
  2. Tuten, M., Fitzsimons, H., Hochheimer, M., Jones, H. E., & Chisolm, M. S. (2018). The impact of early substance use disorder treatment response on treatment outcomes among pregnant women with primary opioid use. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 12(4), 300–307. https://doi.org/10.1097/adm.0000000000000397
  3. Ryan, J. P., Perron, B. E., Moore, A., Victor, B. G., & Park, K. (2017). Timing matters: A randomized control trial of recovery coaches in foster care. Journal of substance abuse treatment77, 178–184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2017.02.006
  4. He, A. S. (2017). Interagency collaboration and receipt of substance abuse treatment services for child welfare-involved caregivers. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 79, 20-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2017.05.006