0555b664__Alcohol_and_Other_Drug_Issues__Program_Improvement_Plan__PIP_
[State] Nevada Among all reasons identified for children coming to the attention of the child welfare agency, substance abuse by parent was cited in 30 cases (61%). Primary reasons for opening a child welfare agency case included substance abuse by parent in 13 cases (27%). Nevada did not achieve substantial conformity with the systemic factor of Service Array. The CFSR determined that the State does not have in place a sufficient array of services that would enable children to remain safely with their parents when reasonable or would help children in foster and adoptive placements achieve permanency. Critical gaps in the service array are bilingual services (particularly Spanish services), mental health services, substance abuse services, and health and dental services (because many providers will not accept Medicaid). In addition, the Statewide Assessment and stakeholder interviews indicate that many services are not available at all in rural areas of the State. Services provided to the families included, but were not limited to, individual and family counseling, substance abuse treatment, medical and dental services, transportation services, homemaking services, parenting education, educational advocacy, sexual offender assessment and treatment services, sexual abuse victim assistance and counseling, mental health evaluations and services, home health nurse services, domestic violence counseling, early childhood education services, nutritional and food services, concrete services such as furniture and household goods, family preservation services, day care services, speech therapy services, and drug court. According to the Statewide Assessment, there is a lack of preventive, intervention, and support services to address the stressors contributing to child abuse and neglect, such as substance abuse and lack of income/employment/insurance. However, it was noted that in Washoe County, there is a Human Support Specialist program that provides in-home support with case management to families in need. Most stakeholders commenting on Needs and Services of Child, Parents, and Foster Parents expressed the opinion that while the agency routinely conducts initial needs assessments, there is a lack of follow up in many cases with regard to conducting more in-depth evaluations to identify underlying problems such as mental illness, domestic violence, or substance abuse. Information in the Statewide Assessment indicates that the primary training needs are in the area of substance abuse, sexual abuse, and ASFA. Information in the Statewide Assessment indicates that there are an array of services for children and families in the State, including family reunification services, which include primary therapy services for individuals and families, mental health counseling and therapy, substance abuse treatment, parenting education, mentoring youth programs, homemaker, child care services, housing and housing counseling, crisis intervention, job development, and life skills workshops. Information in the Statewide Assessment indicates that caseworkers, supervisors, and foster parents surveyed as part of the State�s self-assessment process, expressed concerns about accessibility of services to aid reunification. According to the survey findings, the three greatest unmet service needs which are barriers to reunification are mental health services, substance abuse services, and housing services. Stakeholders in one county reported that mental health services are lacking, medical providers are in short supply, drug and alcohol assessment and treatment services are not sufficient, and services are not effectively coordinated across providers and agencies; one stakeholder in this county reported that the county uses an alternative sentencing program that operates like a Family Drug Court to assist in providing substance abuse assessment and treatment services to youth and parents. Stakeholders in another county identified similar problems including a lack of providers who will accept Medicaid resulting in waiting lists for medical services, waiting lists for family preservation services, waiting lists for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Exposure diagnoses (up to a 6-month wait), waiting lists for home-based family services (currently 100 families are on the waiting list). Stakeholders in a third county reported that the strengths in their community include access to family therapy, family preservation services, a broad range of services and interventions provided by up to 20 contracted providers, and the Drug Court, which can support 24 families at a time. However, these stakeholders also noted a lack of drug treatment resources. An Area Needing Improvement is Meeting the Unique Needs of Children and Families due to a lack of providers who will accept Medicaid, and to insufficient mental health, substance abuse, and services for Spanish-speaking families.
The State will meet with the National Resource Center for Child Protective Services to develop a risk assessment tool which includes family violence and substance abuse components The State will refer to the AOC/CIP for the feasibility of taking a Nevada Family Drug Court Statewide.
A Review of Alcohol and Other Drug Issues
Program Improvement Plan (PIP)