Randolph County Department of Social Services has reported a steady increase of child abuse/neglect cases with substantiated substance use since 2017.  The increase has coincided with the opioid epidemic plaguing the county.  

Fear, stigma, and access to care have played a significant in role in the number of families impacted by substance use.  Social services staff conduct assessments to evaluate severity of the issue which determines next steps for support.

Randolph County Department of Social Services, Local Behavioral Health Providers, Schools, Court System, Faith-Based Organizations

Providing access to care and wrap around services to increase retention in support programs is critical to keep families together.  The START Model is an evidence-based, integrated program between child welfare services and substance use disorder treatment. This intervention aims to help parents with substance use disorders achieve recovery, improve parental capacity, and keep children in the home when safe and possible. 

These programs build protective factors for children which reduces the likelihood of developing substance use disorders as adults.  Protective factors include:

• Nurturing and attachment
• Knowledge of parenting for child and youth development
• Parental resilience
• Social connections
• Concrete supports for parents
• Social and emotional competence of children.

COMPREHENSIVE FRAMEWORK TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR FAMILIES AFFECTED BY SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND CHILD WELFARE INVOLVEMENT

To address the rise in child abuse/neglect cases with substantiated drug use, social services is implementing a program modeled similar to START.  This includes an assigned caseworker, connection to addiction treatment, and ongoing support for the family.