The Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams program for families with parental substance use: Comparison of child welfare outcomes through 12 months post-intervention.

Background: The 2018 Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) shifted child welfare funding to interventions proven effective in preserving families with parental substance use and child welfare involvement. The Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) program serves this population with FFPSA aligned goals.

Objective: This study was the first to test the sustained effects of START from the initial CPS report through 12-months post-intervention.

Comparative outcomes for Black children served by the Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams program for families with parental substance abuse and child maltreatment.

Introduction: An urgent need exists for child welfare and substance use disorder (SUD) interventions that safely preserve Black families, engage parents in treatment services, and improve child and parent outcomes. The Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse rated The Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) as a promising practice for families with parental substance use and child maltreatment. This study is the first to test the effects of START on Black families.

Medication-Assisted Treatment Improves Child Permanency Outcomes for Opioid-Using Families in the Child Welfare System.

Parents who use opioids and are involved in the child welfare system are less likely to retain custody of their children than parents who use other drugs. No previous studies have described medication-assisted treatment (MAT) utilization and child permanency outcomes for this population. The Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Team (START) model is a child welfare-based intervention focused on families with co-occurring substance use and child abuse / neglect issues.

Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams in Rural Appalachia: Implementation and Outcomes.

The Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) model is designed for families with co-occurring substance use and child maltreatment. This study describes the implementation and outcomes of START in a rural Appalachian county with high rates of poverty, non-medical prescription drug use, and child maltreatment. Despite a severely limited addiction treatment infrastructure at baseline, children served by START were less likely to experience recurrence of child abuse or neglect within 6 months or re-enter foster care at 12 months compared with a matched control group.

Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams: Implementation Fidelity and Related Outcomes.

Background: Although integrated programs between child welfare and substance abuse treatment are recommended for families with co-occurring child maltreatment and substance use disorders, implementing integrated service delivery strategies with fidelity is a challenging process.

Objective: This study of the first five years of the Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Team (START) program examines implementation fidelity using a model proposed by Carroll et al. (2007).