Blending Perspectives and Building Common Ground: Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Where Do We Go From Here?
Directions and Next Steps for Federal, State, and Local Efforts

By listening to partners, reviewing what has been learned through decades of research in both the child welfare and alcohol and drug fields, and conducting additional focused analyses of the data collected by HHS, the agencies involved in producing this report have begun to understand the complex interactions among substance abuse, child maltreatment, and other problems within families, and among the service providers and policy makers in these and related fields who struggle to make a difference in the lives of children and families.  Available information indicates that while the nation is a long way from having in place an effective, smoothly functioning service network to address these issues, there are clear indications of how services must be refocused in order to generate better outcomes:  safety, stability and improved developmental outcomes for children; healthier, sober, and more productive parents; and better-functioning families.

Nationally and in many States and communities, mutual lack of knowledge, understanding, and trust creates barriers that hinder effective collaboration between child welfare and substance abuse treatment agencies and professionals, as well as with other services systems and judges and court personnel.  These barriers ultimately prevent effective service delivery to families with substance abuse and related problems, further placing their children at risk, or preventing their healing.  The most critical problem is the scarcity in many communities of available, appropriate services designed to address the multiple problems these clients face.  The preceding chapters have detailed the parameters of the problem and have explored isolated promising efforts in communities across the nation.  This chapter suggests steps that might be taken to improve the situation more broadly.  It is important to note that there is not currently a consensus in the field as to how to solve these problems effectively.  Yet finding common ground is imperative if these fields are to "do right" by the families who are clients of both systems.  To the extent that the differences between the child welfare and substance abuse treatment fields prevent collaboration and quality service delivery, service systems will continue to fail these families.