Strategies to Help CWS-Involved Parents Complete Substance Use Treatment and Protect their Children in Hawai'i.

Each year in Hawai'i, an estimated 500 - 650 children (about half of confirmed cases of child abuse or neglect) are at high risk of entering foster care because of their parent's substance use disorder (SUD). Children in foster care because of parental SUD are less likely to be reunified with their parents. Experiences in foster care may cause long-term negative health consequences for the children. Early identification and engagement of parents in SUD treatment can improve outcomes for parents and children. The child welfare and SUD treatment systems in Hawai'i are not set up to work together to maximize the likelihood that parents will complete treatment and families will stay together. This article recommends evidence-based interventions including recovery coaches, peer partners, and Family Drug Courts (FDCs). Recovery coaches and peer partners support parents in early engagement and completion of SUD treatment. FDCs provide an interdisciplinary approach that successfully serves parents involved with Child Welfare Services (CWS) who have complex needs. Effectively implementing these interventions in Hawai'i requires an improved infrastructure to collect and analyze data about parents with SUD and their children, parents' SUD needs and status in treatment, and families' level of CWS involvement. Data about the availability and delivery of services for CWS-involved parents with SUD are also needed to understand service efficiency and effectiveness. These suggested interventions would help more parents in Hawai'i complete treatment and keep their children safely with them, thereby protecting children's current and long-term health.