1. Substance Abuse and Safety Management Theresa Costello, MA National Resource Center for Child Protective Services A Service of the Children’s Bureau

2. Substance Abuse and Safety Management In-Home or Out of Home?

3. Covering the Basics Concepts & Analysis

4. A Child is Unsafe… Unsafe Present danger Impending danger

5. Universal Safety Threats Nobody to supervise Violence Lack of impulses No motivation Insufficient knowledge or skill Distorted view of a child Deprivation of essential resources Serious threats Intention to seriously harm Hiding child; refusing access Unmet exceptional needs Dangerous environments Serious injuries Provocative or self destructive child behavior Fear as an expression of threats or terror Unexplained injuries

6. Substance Abuse Related Functioning & Family Situations Physically debilitating –Tremors, weakness, weight loss, headaches Psychologically debilitating –Confusion; Irritability; Poor concentration; Paranoia; Hallucinations; Panic reactions; Fatigue; Depression; Memory loss; Anger; Insomnia; Psychosis Cognitively debilitating –Recognition; Information processing; Communication; Inability to learn from experience; Attention; Memory; poor judgment Parenting & Family Situation –Inconsistent or avoiding parenting –Chaotic home life; high-dangerous traffic –Lack of resources/provisions –Access to drugs/paraphernalia –Deteriorating relationships

7. Mapping Substance Abuse Related Family Conditions t o Safety Threats A Handout

8. Safety Intervention Analysis Definition & Handout

9. Safety Intervention Analysis Analyze substance abuse-related safety threats; caregiver protective capacity and family information to determine the degree of intrusiveness and the level of effort necessary for assuring that a safety plan will be effective in protecting a child The method to determine in-home or out-of- home safety management in substance abuse cases

10. Safety Intervention Analysis What Must Be Controlled: How Are Threats Occurring? Can & Will a Caregiver Protect? How to Judge In-Home/Out-of-Home? What Level of Effort is Required for In-home Safety Management?

11. The Russell Case Video – Handout - Case Application

12. Application Review the Russell Intake Observe the Interviews Read the Russell Initial Assessment Findings Identify Substance Abuse-Related Safety Threats Walk Through the Safety Analysis Identify In-home or Out-of-home Safety Management

13. Summary: Safety Management in Substance Abuse Cases How important is fully understanding individual and family functioning as influenced by substance use/abuse? How important is analyzing/breaking down substance abuse-related safety threats? Can analysis be used to rule in or rule out in- home safety management arriving at the out of home option?

14. Thank You! www.nrccps.org