Update on NCSACW

Presented to National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators

Nancy K. Young, Ph.D.
Director
March 20, 2005

A Program of the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
and the
Administration for Children and Families
Administration on Children, Youth and Families
Children’s Bureau
Office on Child Abuse and Neglect

Developed and Implemented by Staff of Children and Family Futures with a Consortium of National Organizations:
- American Public Human Services Association
- Child Welfare League of America
- National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors
- National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
- National Indian Child Welfare Association
MISSION:
To improve systems and practice for families with substance use disorders who are involved in the child welfare and family judicial systems by assisting local, State and tribal agencies
Goals:
- To develop and implement a comprehensive program of information gathering and dissemination
- To provide technical assistance
- To develop knowledge and its application that promotes effective practice, organizational, and system changes

Began Operations September 2002

Technical Assistance Resources:Five Levels

Telephone or email request and linkages to resources including our library
Telephone and video conferencing consultation
On-site consultants for conferences and facilitating collaborative efforts
In-depth technical assistance program
Site-sponsored assistance

Connecting AOD, CWS, Court Systems: Elements of System Linkages*

Underlying Values
Screening and Assessment
Client Engagement and Retention in Care
AOD Services to Children
Joint Accountability and Shared Outcomes
Information Sharing & Management
Training and Staff Development
Budgeting and Program Sustainability
Building Community Supports
Working with Related Agencies and Support Systems

From CSAT Technical Assistance Publication (TAP) 27: Navigating the Pathways *Revised March 2003

Development of a Comprehensive Framework and Policy Tools

10 Element Framework
Collaborative Values Inventory
Collaborative Capacity Instrument
Matrix of Progress in Linkages
Screening and Assessment for Family Engagement, Retention and Recovery -- SAFERR

In-Depth TA Program

Round I – July 2003 to December 2004
- Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Virginia
Round II – January 2005 to March 2006
- Arkansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Squaxin Island Tribe

Four On-Line Curricula

Substance Abuse Counselors
Child Welfare Workers
Family/Dependency Court Judges and Attorneys
State Legislators

National Conference

July 2004, Baltimore

Received over 100 workshop proposals
440 Attended – turned away 160

Material Development

Understanding Substance Abuse and Facilitating Recovery: A Guide for Child Welfare Workers
White Papers
- Review of Substance Abuse Issues in State’s CFSR and PIPs
- Funding Comprehensive Services
- Methamphetamine: Addiction, Treatment, Outcomes and Implications for Families
Report on In-Depth Technical Assistance Program

Products In Development

On-Line Materials for Training Child Welfare Workers in Substance Use, Mental Health Disorders and Co-Occurring Disorders
Report on State Policies and Case Study Examples of Best Practices regarding Children Prenatally-Exposed to Alcohol and Other Drugs
- Co-Sponsoring Conference with Abandoned Infants Association October 6 & 7, 2005 Washington, DC

The Voice of a Child

Nothing But Silence

By Ashley G.
Age 12
January 2005

People all around me
Calling out my name
But no I cannot hear them
For my heart is filled with shame
Nothing but silence

But only till the break of dawn
Will I be feeling sad
For wandering out on the streets
Are my birth mom and dad

Why’d she do this to her and me
With this we’ll have to cope
But while she’s clean you never know
There still could be hope

But in the perfect world I know
There’s no harmful stuff
But now I’ve come to realize
It’s just a bunch of bluff

Nothing but silence

Sitting by the widow sill
A tear rolls down my cheek
Although it hurts I can’t express
My heart is just too weak
Nothing but ache
It’s funny what one pill can do
To a mother or a kid
And now I know that for a fact
I won’t do what she did

Nothing but ache

Now I live a better life
And drugs…I wouldn’t dare
Away from all the harmful things
With a family who cares

Nothing but love

I know it hurts, it sure hurt me
And that’s why I’ll remain drug free

Nothing… but hope

Update on NCSACW

Presented to National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators

Nancy K. Young, Ph.D. Director March 20, 2005

Began Operations September 2002

Nothing But Silence

Nancy K. Young, Ph.D.
Director
March 20, 2005