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Collaboration Between the Substance Abuse and Child Welfare Systems: State and Local Examples

The following are State and local examples of collaboration between public child welfare agencies and substance abuse service providers to improve services for children and families.

Colorado's Protocol: Improving Services to Families: Strategies for Substance Abuse Treatment, Child Welfare, and Dependency Court: A Guide for Counties, Service Providers, and Judicial Districts in Colorado (PDF - 741 KB)
Colorado Department of Human Services, Colorado Office of the State Court Administrator, & National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (2004)
Presents a protocol for improving services for families in the child welfare system that also have substance abuse problems through greater collaboration among professionals.

Exploring the Links Between Parental Substance Abuse and Child Welfare: Increasing Understanding of the Research and Program Issues in Alaska (PDF - 456 KB)
Child Welfare Evaluation Program, University Of Alaska Anchorage (2005)
Reviews research on the effectiveness of programs that address parental substance abuse and child abuse and neglect, and identifies programs in the State of Alaska and across the country that address these issues.

Integrating Substance Abuse Treatment and Child Welfare Services: Findings From the Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Waiver Demonstration
Ryan, Marsh, Testa, & Louderman
Social Work Research, 30(2), 2006
View Abstract
Provides an initial examination of the effectiveness of a service integration model that emphasizes the provision of intensive case management to link substance abuse and child welfare services.

Iowa Child Welfare and Substance Abuse Services Collaboration (PDF - 126 KB)
Iowa Department of Human Services (2004)
Summarizes programs implemented by 27 areas in the State of Iowa to initiate and enhance the coordination of services for families with substance and child safety issues and makes recommendations for future activities.

Memorandum of Understanding: A Collaborative Agreement Among the Massachusetts Departments of Social Services and Public Health, Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, Massachusetts Juvenile Court, and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) (PDF - 63 KB)
Massachusetts Family Recovery Collaborative (2006)
Encourages collaborative policy and practice among participating systems to coordinate services for families where parental substance use disorders result in the risk of child maltreatment with the goal of improved well-being of children and strengthened families.

Michigan: Chippewa County Substance Abuse/Child Welfare Protocol—Sample Interagency Communication Protocol (PDF - 31 KB)
Michigan State Court Administrative Office, Michigan Family Independence Agency, Michigan Department of Community Health, & National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (2004)
This protocol for collaboration among Chippewa County Tribal Entities, court systems, community mental health systems, and the State Family Independence Agency addresses the referral process, confidentiality, continuing education of agency personnel, and conflict resolution among agency personnel.

Pathways to Collaboration: Factors That Help and Hinder Collaboration Between Substance Abuse and Child Welfare Fields (PDF - 1070 KB)
California Social Work Education Center (2008)
This curriculum addresses promising models and operational innovations for collaborative practice between substance abuse and child welfare systems. Also see accompanying PowerPoint. (PDF - 191 KB)

Protecting New Jersey's Children and Families from Substance Abuse (PDF - 457 KB)
New Jersey Child and Family Services Review Substance Abuse Work Group (2003)
Makes recommendations that speak to four primary challenges when serving parents and families needing substance abuse treatment: substance abuse training for child welfare workers, the availability of appropriate treatment options, family involvement in safety and permanency planning, and cooperation among agencies.

Virginia Safe Families in Recovery Project 2004-2009 Strategic Plan: Executive Summary (PDF - 127 KB)
Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources & National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (2004)
Includes goals and key accomplishments of the State partnership with regional agencies and community-based service providers to find effective ways for addressing concurrent substance abuse and child maltreatment problems.

Updated on February 24, 2010