0555b664__Alcohol_and_Other_Drug_Issues__Program_Improvement_Plan__PIP_
[State] District of Columbia The agency offers an array of services designed to prevent out of home placement, reunify families, and finalize adoptions including substance abuse programs The review found that there was a general lack of specific services to meet targeted needs of some of the Agency�s clients, especially in terms of substance abuse treatment, mental health services, and housing. Social workers complete a comprehensive family assessment that addresses many issues including substance abuse history Individuals often wait up to 24 hours in the waiting room for substance abuse treatment services. The District was found to have inadequate inpatient substance abuse treatment facilities for mothers and their children. With a $37.5 million dollar budget increase, the Agency developed new services to meet emerging needs including substance abuse treatment Starting in February 2000 training has been offered to foster care/kinship parents, i.e. in-service workshops on substance abuse, first aid, CPR, and parenting skills. The review found that there was a general lack of mental health services for children who were not in foster care. In addition, the case record reviews and stakeholder interviews identified the need for additional substance abuse treatment services, residential treatment, and placement options for children who need therapeutic care. The case record review found a general lack of family, safety, and/or risk assessments. When the structured decision making instrument was used by Agency workers it was not always completed in a way that showed thoughtful and careful consideration of the risk of harm to the child and the family�s needs. In some cases workers missed important issues that were the cause of many of the problems such as substance abuse or mental illness. In some of the cases reviewed, services were provided to address the initially identified problem, but not the potential underlying causes of the problems such as domestic violence, homelessness, substance abuse, continued educational neglect or sexual abuse. In these cases, families were not provided the opportunity to receive services to address these issues. In most of the cases with a history of repeat maltreatment, the allegations involved the same perpetrators and/or general complaint, over the life of the cases. This was most common in families that had a history of substance abuse, chronic neglect, and/or medical and educational neglect. One case had 24 reports of abuse and neglect, many of which were substantiated, with the same major concerns of chronic neglect, substance abuse, mental illness, and educational neglect by the parents.
CFSA houses a team of specialists with expertise in substance abuse, housing, education and DV In coming years, CFSA hopes to expand the array of services available to families to include such services as quality infant daycare, nighttime daycare, and comprehensive substance abuse treatment In its reorganization CFSA has centralized the clinical service specialists within the Office of Clinical Practice. Clinical service specialists focus on assisting social workers access and provide services to children and families in the areas of DV, housing substance abuse and education. The specialists also counsel social workers on proper identification of the underlying issues contributing to abuse and neglect In improving practice in risks of harm to children, CFSA will clinically train social workers in topic areas such as substance abuse, mental health, DV and other underlying causes of abuse/neglect The CFSA substance abuse specialists have developed a resource listing of substance abuse resources and are capable of counseling social workers on individual cases. The Healthy Families/Thriving Communities Collaboratives will also assist CFSA in accessing services responsive to the housing, substance abuse, mental health, tutoring, mentoring, social and recreational enrichment needs of children and families
A Review of Alcohol and Other Drug Issues
Program Improvement Plan (PIP)