Supporting Families Affected by Opioids

The national opioid crisis affects every aspect of service providers including child welfare, courts, treatment providers, public health, and medical providers. In response, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is focusing its efforts on treatment, spreading awareness of the epidemic, providing support through research, and advancing better practices for pain management. The opioid crisis has facilitated collaborative responsiveness by diverse sectors that is yielding promising results in communities across the country.

The following resources provide information on opioid use, how children and families are affected and offer policy practice examples intended to support child welfare, substance use treatment, and the courts to strengthen their response.

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  Policy and Practice Resources

  • A Collaborative Approach to the Treatment of Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorders: Practice and Policy Considerations for Child Welfare, Collaborating Medical, and Service Providers
    (PDF 1.66 MB)

    Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2016

    This report provides:

    • An overview of the extent of opioid use by pregnant women and the effects on the infant;
    • Evidence-based recommendations for treatment approaches from leading professional organizations;
    • An in-depth case study, including ideas that can be adopted and adapted by other jurisdictions; and
    • A guide for collaborative planning, including needs and gaps analysis tools for priority setting and action planning.

    View Document Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and Trauma

• Related Online Trainings, Videos, and Webinars

  • NCSACW Webinar Series on Opioid Use Disorders and Treatment

    National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, 2017

    The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare developed a webinar series on medication-assisted treatment for families affected by substance use disorders, opioid use in pregnancy, and treatment for neonatal abstinence syndrome. Please view the list of nine webinar titles below for more information about services on opioid use disorders and treatment.

    • Resources to Support Families in Child Welfare Affected by Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders, 2018
    • Part 1: Collaborative Approaches to Treating Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorders, 2016
    • Part 2: Partnering to Treat Pregnant Women with Opioid Disorders: Lessons Learned from Six Site Initiative, 2016
    • A Framework for Intervention for Infants with Prenatal Exposure and Their Families, 2017
    • Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Series, Part I of II: Understanding MAT for Families Affected by Substance Use Disorders, 2011
    • Opioid Use in Pregnancy: A Community’s Approach, The Children and Recovering Mothers (CHARM) Collaborative, 2014
    • Opioid Use, Dependency, and Treatment in Pregnancy, 2015
    • Early Identification and Treatment of Prenatally Exposed Infants, 2013

    Visit Website NCSACW Webinar Series on Opioid Use Disorders and Treatment
  • Clinical Guidance for Treating Pregnant and Parenting Women with Opioid Use Disorder and Their Infants
    (PDF 866 KB)

    National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018

    Dr. Hendrée Jones is a professor at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also the executive director of the UNC Horizons Comprehensive Care/Trauma Responsive Program for Women and Children. She discusses her groundbreaking study published in 2010 related to treatment of babies exposed to opioids in the womb, who subsequently suffer from neonatal abstinence syndrome at birth.

    View Document Clinical Guidance for Treating Pregnant and Parenting Women with Opioid Use Disorder and Their Infants

• State and Local Examples

  • Maternal Opiates Medical Support (MOMS) Care Coordination Model

    Ohio Department of Medicaid and Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services, 2015

    This coordination model provides a structure for engaging pregnant women in services and ensuring information sharing across systems.

    Visit Website Maternal Opiates Medical Support (MOMS) Care Coordination Model
  • Congressional Hearing on the Opioid Crisis: Testimony by Barbara Cimaglio, Deputy Health Commissioner (Vermont)
    (PDF 638 KB)

    Department of Health State of Vermont, 2017

    This testimony—submitted to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies—provides information about the hub and spoke systems used in Vermont to address the opioid crisis enhanced coordination of invention, treatment, and recovery services.

    View Document Congressional Hearing on the Opioid Crisis: Testimony by Barbara Cimaglio, Deputy Health Commissioner (Vermont)

• Additional Resources

  • Supporting Families in Child Welfare Affected by Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders

    National Perinatal Association, 2018

    Child Welfare Affected by Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders provides an infographic and one-page issue statements/slides about perinatal substance use and supporting parents and their infants—geared toward hospital professionals, perinatal social workers, and prenatal care providers and includes information about mental health, neonatal abstinence syndrome, medication-assisted treatment, breastfeeding, and fathers’ needs.

    Visit Website Supporting Families in Child Welfare Affected by Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders
  • Committee Opinion: Opioid Use and Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy

    The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and American Society of Addiction Medication, 2017

    Opioid use in pregnancy is not uncommon, and the use of illicit opioids during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes. It is the committee’s opinion that the current standard of care for pregnant women with opioid dependence is referral for opioid-assisted therapy with methadone, but emerging evidence suggests that buprenorphine should also be considered.

    Visit Website Committee Opinion: Opioid Use and Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy
  • America’s Opioid Crisis: The Unseen Impact on Children
    (PDF 518 KB)

    American Academy of Pediatrics United States Fact Sheet, 2018

    The State and National Fact Sheet on American’s opioid crisis is the expandable list which includes state-by-state and national fact sheets that examine the intersection of the opioid epidemic, child welfare systems, and child health. These fact sheets also offer policy solutions that can support vulnerable children and families at both the state and federal level.

    View Document America’s Opioid Crisis: The Unseen Impact on Children
  • Topical Issue Brief: Intervention IDEAs for Infants, Toddlers, Children, and Youth Impacted by Opioids
    (PDF 324 KB)

    U.S. Office of Special Education Programs, 2017

    This issue brief provides prevalent information, as well as list of environmental risk factors associated with opioid exposure. The document also provides ideas for preventive efforts and interventions for parents, schools, and programs.

    View Document Topical Issue Brief: Intervention IDEAs for Infants, Toddlers, Children, and Youth Impacted by Opioids