0555b664__Alcohol_and_Other_Drug_Issues__Program_Improvement_Plan__PIP_
[State] Mississippi Primary reasons for opening a child welfare agency case were the following:� Substance abuse by parent in 2 cases (4%). Stakeholders suggested that assessments are being conducted and services are being provided to children and parents, but that this is not being done on a consistent basis. The lack of consistency with regard to this practice was attributed to gaps in services (particularly substance abuse treatment, family therapy, treatment for sexual offenders, treatment for victims of sexual abuse, and therapeutic placement facilities), poor needs assessments, and a lack of ongoing needs assessment. According to the Statewide Assessment, the services designed to prevent removal and assist children in out-of-home care to achieve permanency are: Families First Resource Centers; Family Preservation; Supervised Visitation; Individual, Group, and Family Counseling; Substance Abuse Treatment; Transportation; Parenting Classes; Therapeutic Treatment; Family Support; Independent Living; and Therapists for Post Adoption Support. Focus groups were convened in four counties to identify the strengths and gaps in their service array. Each group indicated a need for more services in the entire service array. Services that are non-existent or have limited availability are: services to improve fathers' involvement, services to prevent placement disruption, residential treatment services, post-adoption casework services, job coaches, domestic violence shelters, services for medically fragile children, residential substance abuse treatment for women and their children, and in-patient psychiatric care for children. Substance abuse services for adolescents and adults, particularly residential treatment centers and services for teens were identified by Stakeholders as service gaps in the state. Stakeholders in rural counties reported that children and families in need of specialized treatment often seek services out-of-county (e.g., mental health services, in-patient substance abuse treatment, placement services for adolescents). Some stakeholders indicated that lack of transportation is a significant barrier to accessing services in both urban and rural areas. According to the Statewide Assessment, each county office is able to access funds to provide individual, group, and family therapy, substance abuse treatment, and transportation. However, the ability to provide individualized services to families and children is not consistently available.
Develop and implement an on-going training system. MDHS will continue to partner with the CWTI to offer specialized trainings for caseworkers and supervisors covering areas such as substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health/mental illness, and working with the courts. Develop and implement on-going specialized training maximizing the CWTI in the areas of substance abuse, domestic violence, and mental illness to improve staff skills to identify and assess risk of harm. Coordinate with IV-E CWTI to provide on-going training curricula for specialized areas including substance abuse, domestic violence, working with the courts and other targeted areas.� Develop and implement on-going specialized training in substance abuse, domestic violence, and mental illness to improve staff skills to identify and assess risk of harm.
A Review of Alcohol and Other Drug Issues
Program Improvement Plan (PIP)