Understanding Substance Abuse and Facilitating Recovery: A Guide for Child Welfare Workers

This publication is intended for front line child welfare staff. It discusses the relationship of alcohol and drugs to families in the child welfare system; provides information on the biological, psychological, and social processes of alcohol and drug addiction to help staff recognize when substance abuse is a risk factor in their cases; describes strategies to facilitate and support alcohol and drug treatment and recovery; and explains the benefits of partnering with substance abuse treatment and dependency court systems to improve outcomes for children of parents with substance use disorders.