National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare

Who We Are

The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) is a service of the Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Children's Bureau Office on Child Abuse and Neglect.

How We Can Help

NCSACW works to develop knowledge and provide technical assistance to Federal, State, and local agencies and Tribes to improve outcomes for families with substance use disorders who are involved in the child welfare and family court systems.

Technical Assistance
NCSACW helps develop cross-system partnerships and practice changes to address the issues of substance use disorders among families in the child welfare system. All requests for technical assistance are coordinated with the CSAT and ACF. A limited amount of onsite technical assistance is provided at no charge based on availability and application process.

Areas of technical assistance include:

Connecting individuals with resources, including publications, journal articles, research, and statistics
Consulting expertise on screening and assessment for family engagement, retention, and recovery
Presenting at conferences
Facilitating clinical and policy workgroups of substance abuse and child welfare staff and judicial officers
Assisting in the development of interagency protocols and strategic plans
Assisting States in responding to their CFSRs and developing their Program Improvement Plans (PIPs)
Answering questions and making referrals to other experts in the field
In-depth technical assistance for a limited number of sites selected through a solicitation process

Information Gathering and Dissemination
NCSACW staff maintain an extensive library of resources on the intersection of alcohol and other drugs, child welfare/Tribal child welfare, and family court systems.

Web-Based Services and Tutorials
The NCSACW website is available to provide a wide range of online resources. In addition, NCSACW has developed a series of online tutorials:

Understanding Child Welfare and the Dependency Court: A Guide for Substance Abuse Treatment Professionals
Understanding Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery: A Guide for Child Welfare Workers
Understanding Substance Abuse and Child Welfare Issues: A Guide for Judicial Officers (anticipated 2007)

For More Information

Address:	4940 Irvine Boulevard Suite 202 Irvine, CA 92620
Phone:	714.505.3525
Fax:	714.505.3626
Email:	ncsacw@cffutures.org
Website:	www.ncsacw.samhsa.gov
Contact:	Nancy K. Young, Director Cathleen Otero, Project Manager Lani Daly, TA Coordinator

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