0555b664__Alcohol_and_Other_Drug_Issues__Program_Improvement_Plan__PIP_
[State] Illinois Among all reasons identified for children coming to the attention of the child welfare agency, substance abuse by parents was cited in 23 cases (48%). Primary reasons for opening a child welfare agency case included substance abuse by parent in 13 cases (27%) and substance abuse by child in 1 case (2%). Services provided to families included, but were not limited to: mental health services, including counseling, individual and family therapy, psychiatric and psychological assessments, and mental health evaluations and treatment; substance abuse treatment and aftercare services; developmental therapy for children; medical assessments and treatment; sexual abuse counseling; domestic violence interventions including safety plans and anger management; parenting education classes; family preservation services; day care; financial assistance; transportation, particularly to facilitate visitation; housing advocacy; and school advocacy. Several stakeholders noted that those children who re-enter the system generally come from families in which parents have a history of substance abuse. Several stakeholders reported that agency efforts to establish appropriate goals in a timely manner are hampered by delays in court scheduling and, as noted by Cook County stakeholders, by the practice of some judges of granting parents multiple opportunities to comply with service plans in order to achieve reunification (particularly in cases involving parental substance abuse). Stakeholders expressed the opinion that children are not reunified in a timely manner, particularly when the case involves parental substance abuse. Stakeholders noted that in these cases, the courts frequently grant continuances to give parents extended time to work through the substance abuse recovery process, which inevitably includes a period of relapse. The Statewide Assessment notes that reunification efforts are hindered by (1) difficulties in obtaining psychiatric services for parents; (2) parents needing assistance in acquiring housing, medical cards, and accessing other community resources; and (3) parental non-compliance with substance abuse treatment plans The State's title IV-E waiver for Cook County funds "recovery coaches" who assist birth parents with obtaining needed substance abuse treatment services and with negotiating the requirements associated with addiction recovery and concurrent permanency planning. It is expected that this approach will be effective in expediting reunification in cases involving parental substance abuse. When in-home services cases involve parental substance abuse and/or mental health issues, assigned workers are required to visit the family at least twice monthly until it is determined through an assessment and/or supervisory discussion that the family no longer requires this level of contact. Willingness to continue to extend the timeframe for parents to meet case goals, particularly when parents are undergoing substance abuse treatment was noted by stakeholders interviewed during the CFSR onsite visit as a barrier to TPR. Stakeholders identified areas for ongoing training that they believe are not being sufficiently addressed at present. These included the following: (1) working with families with mental health problems, (2) understanding substance abuse issues and working with families with substance abuse, and (3) conducting comprehensive assessments that capture underlying risk issues. The CFSR identified significant service gaps with respect to appropriate out-of-home placement resources, particularly for adolescents; children's mental health services; culturally responsive services; and services to address family issues of substance abuse, mental health, and domestic violence. The Statewide Assessment describes the DCFS and Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (OASA) collaboration that began in 1995. The IDHS/DCFS Initiative provides identification of alcohol and other drug abuse (AODA) issues by DCFS and private child welfare staff, timely access to AODA assessment and treatment for DCFS involved families, enhanced outreach and case management for families receiving AODA treatment, removal of barriers to treatment for families (e.g. childcare), and improved information sharing between the two agencies. In fiscal year 2000 OASA reported spending over $22 million on AODA treatment services to over 11,000 DCFS clients. Through the funding of the Project SAFE (Substance and Alcohol Free Environment) outreach workers and other AODA ancillary and support services, DCFS also commits over $7 million for services to AODA affected families on an annual basis. Project SAFE was described as demonstrating success in reuniting families in which substance abuse has been a problem and Norman v. Suter consent decree funds (and others) were established to address homelessness in families where there was a risk of children being removed. Stakeholders expressed the opinion that although a wide array of services is available in Illinois, service gaps exist in the areas of housing, substance abuse treatment, primary child abuse prevention services, post-adoption and post-reunification services, specialized foster care services, dental services, and vision services.
The Integrated Assessment Program (IAP) will be fully implemented statewide by June 2005. The IAP includes a screening process that is designed to identify child and family needs in a number of domains, including substance use. Conduct a needs assessment in each region to determine gaps in AODA services and collaborate with the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (OASA) in the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) to address AODA treatment in targeted areas. The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and DCFS will establish a system to prioritize referrals and admissions that is mutually agreeable to both departments. A QA review of AODA cases will be implemented in order to identify any barriers to full implementation of the Substance Affected Family Policy and Practice Training. Clarify and reintroduce the policy to all child welfare administrators through training. DCFS will collaborate with DASA to expand services where needed. DCFS will collaborate with the Department of Human Services (DHS) to establish a system to prioritize referrals and admissions.� Illinois will make its current substance abuse resources throughout the State available to private agency caseworkers in addition to DCFS staff.� Through involvement in the Illinois Children�s Mental Health Partnership, intact families will have better access to community-based services, which can include substance abuse, mental health, and domestic violence treatment.���
A Review of Alcohol and Other Drug Issues
Program Improvement Plan (PIP)