CPS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE Milton Ayala, LMSW

OVERVIEW CPS Mission Data Addiction Key Components of Effective Treatment OSAR

CPS Mission The mission of Child Protective Services is to protect children and to act in the children’s best interest. To seek active involvement of the children’s parents and other family members to solve problems that lead to abuse and neglect

Increased heroin inhalation by young Hispanics Youth in their twenties are shifting to injecting illicit drugs - based on treatment admission Decrease in cocaine and methamphetamine indicators (drug violence, drug seizures, increased price) Decrease in proportion of African American crack users Primary drug of abuse at admission to treatment (2007): –Heroin (10%) –Cocaine (24%) –Methamphetamine (11%) Source: DSHS; and UT Center for Social Work Research Substances Abuse Trends in Texas June 2009

Drug or Alcohol Related Investigation During FY 2008

Analysis About 40% of Child Abuse and Neglect Investigations had a drug or alcohol person characteristic –Nationally, figure ranges from 33%-66%(samsha.gov) 60 % of removals were connected to the existence of drug or alcohol use/abuse In 88 child deaths, alcohol and/ or drugs was a factor in the child’s death 222 Meth Intakes/570 cases Discovered or Confirmed during Investigation Source: DFPS Data Warehouse (2008)

Addiction “A chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences” Source: NIDA (The Science of Addiction)

Effective Treatment The key components of effective treatment as defined by DFPS are: (1) Abstinence (2) Involvement in treatment or aftercare (3) Acquisition and demonstration of parenting skills to include bonding (4) Problems that led to abuse and neglect have been solved. (5) Relapse Safety Plan.

OSAR DRAFT PSA: OSAR OSAR DFPS encourages the primary use of the OSAR contractors. Local Treatment Contractors The DFPS caseworker can make a direct referral to local treatment contractors when there is not an OSAR appointment available within 14 days or the distance to an OSAR site is excessive and the OSAR can not make arrangements to travel to the client's location.

DFPS-DSHS MOU (Proposed) DSHS agrees to place parents with children in foster care as a priority population to be served by DSHS’s contractors. Additionally, DSHS agrees to give priority admission to all other clients referred by DFPS, behind the DSHS Priority Populations. DFPS clients include children and adults

DSHS Priority Groups pregnant injecting drug users; pregnant substance abusers; injecting drug users; parents with children in foster care; and veterans with honorable discharges

DFPS-DSHS MOU (Proposed) DFPS staff will complete the standardized referral form that includes details concerning potential substance misuse issues for each client referred to a DSHS contractor.

DFPS Referrals by SVCS: 2009 Detoxification 5% Specialized Female Outpatient 45% Specialized Female Residential 29% Women and Children Residential 45% Reference: DSHS Data

Communications Best Practices ----Reminding Client about Appointment ----Scheduling CPS Clients when a cancellation occurs in the OSAR appointment calendar ---- OSAR Co-located in a CPS Office on Specific Days and Times

Communications Areas That Could be Improved (Open Discussion)

QUESTIONS?