Department of Health and Human Services Launches National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare

SILVER SPRING, MD. (October 1, 2002) – Increased national attention to substance use disorders among families who have abused or neglected their children has led to the creation of a National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare "NCSACW." This problem affects millions of America's children every year. The program is an initiative of the Department of Health and Human Services and jointly funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), and the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Children's Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect (OCAN). Ms. Sharon Amatetti, Public Health Analyst at CSAT, will serve as the Federal Project Officer. The contract award was made in September 2002 to the Center for Children and Family Futures, Inc., an Irvine, California-based policy institute and is envisioned to be a 5-year project through September 2007.

Several national reports over the past 5 years have documented the extent to which families entering the child welfare system and the family courts are affected by substance abuse. Substance abuse affects both the parenting and
development of children. An estimated 11 percent of all children live in families where one or more parents abuse alcohol or other drugs; an estimated 40 to 60 percent of children in the child welfare system are affected by substance abuse.

Dr. Nancy Young, a well-known national expert on the public policy issues affecting children of substance abusers, will serve as the Project Director of NCSACW. Dr. Young is the Executive Director of the CCFF, which has assembled an impressive consortium of national organizations and leaders to facilitate communication among the various service systems affected by substance abuse and child welfare. The consortium members represent the various constituents and stakeholders in the work of NCSACW, including families, professionals, and national leaders on practice and policy issues in substance abuse, child welfare, family courts, the Tribes, and policymakers. The consortium members include: The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD), the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), and the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA).

Danya International, Inc., will implement the technology aspects of the project, including Web-based tutorials.

The NCSACW will develop and implement a comprehensive program of information gathering and dissemination, knowledge development and application, as well as provide technical assistance to promote practice, organizational, and systems change at the local, state, and national levels. The focus of NCSACW's work includes six overall goals:

• Effectively communicate among all stakeholders of NCSACW
• Gather specialized knowledge and improve collaboration among the substance abuse and child welfare fields and family judicial systems
• Use the full range of resources of NCSACW to create a widely recognized body of expertise and materials on substance abuse, child welfare, and related Tribal and family judicial systems
• Develop Web-based and other technological means of collecting and disseminating specialized knowledge on substance abuse, child welfare, and family court systems
• Use the expertise of NCSACW to assist consumers, families, communities, Tribal leaders, other professionals, and policymakers to improve practice, procedures, and policies on substance abuse, child welfare, and family court systems
• Improve the effectiveness of NCSACW by measuring its outcomes and gathering feedback from all stakeholders

Several tasks are envisioned for NCSACW to achieve these goals. This work will involve providing technical assistance to states and communities; collecting, developing, and disseminating information; conducting regional meetings on special topics and a national conference in the second and fourth contract years; developing Web-based access to information and tutorials; and establishing a national expert group to develop guidelines and standards on these issues.

About Danya International, Inc.

Danya creates, delivers, and evaluates innovative behavior change strategies that empower people of all ages and from all walks of life to live healthier and better educated lives. The company provides breakthrough services in the areas of public health communication, research and evaluation, information technology, education and training, program management support, and health product development. Founded on the guiding principles of integrity, quality, and creativity, Danya helps its public and private-sector clients to develop research-based tools and campaigns that communicate clear, concise, and effective health messages across all media forms. Founded in 1996, Danya is based in Silver Spring, Maryland. To learn more about the company, visit www.danya.com.