Connecting Child Welfare-Involved Families to Substance Abuse Treatment in Florida’s SunCoast Region

Although caregiver substance misuse is estimated to be an underlying factor in the majority of child welfare investigations, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) learned that few caregivers referred from child welfare to behavioral health providers actually received treatment.

The GPL supported the DCF SunCoast Region in implementing active contract management strategies to improve referral, engagement, and treatment practices, including implementing a new system for tracking referrals and monitoring caregiver engagement in treatment.

As a result, more child welfare-involved families are engaging in substance abuse treatment and connecting with the services they need more quickly. Over the course of less than a year, the average time between referral and assessment has decreased by five days and the share of caregivers attending treatment services within one month of being referred has doubled.

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