Purpose of this Course

This course equips treatment professionals with knowledge and strategies to effectively provide services to parents, children, and families involved in the child welfare and dependency court systems. It highlights the importance of collaboration, communication, and the use of effective strategies to promote a family-centered approach that can help parents affected by substance use and mental health challenges engage and remain in treatment while strengthening their capacity to care for their children safely and improve overall family well-being.

Course Goals

• Enhance understanding of and collaboration with the child welfare and dependency court systems:
  • Equip professionals with comprehensive knowledge of child welfare intervention goals, legal and ethical responsibilities, and the child welfare case flow process.
  • Foster an understanding of the continuum of child welfare services and the types of dependency court hearings, focusing on outcomes for families affected by substance use and co-occurring disorders.
  • Promote effective communication and collaboration among child welfare professionals, legal professionals, and other service providers to improve case outcomes.
• Promote effective identification, referral, and collaborative intervention for co-occurring disorders and trauma:
  • Develop skills to identify and manage co-occurring disorders, intimate partner violence, and trauma, including the use of best practice screening tools and interagency response efforts.
  • Implement strategies to enhance families' safety and protective capacities and provide trauma-informed care to create a supportive environment that builds trust and well-being.
  • Emphasize the benefits of collaborative efforts and open communication between agencies to ensure comprehensive and coordinated care.
• Strengthen treatment access, family-centered engagement, and cross-system communication:
  • Develop knowledge of family-centered practice by understanding core values, key characteristics, and benefits.
  • Understand the benefits of peer recovery support services in improving service engagement and retention.
  • Apply evidence-based, solution-focused, and motivational interviewing techniques to improve treatment engagement and service delivery and expand referral and linkage practices to support family-centered services.
  • Promote effective communication and collaboration among treatment providers, families, and community resources to enhance service delivery and support.
• Meet the needs of children and adolescents through collaborative efforts:
  • Identify and mitigate the short- and long-term effects of parental substance use on children and adolescents using age-appropriate tools and strategies.
  • Use best practice screening tools for early identification and intervention for developmental, mental health, trauma, and substance use needs, and discuss strategies to mitigate the long-term effects of adverse childhood experiences.
  • Encourage collaborative communication between child welfare professionals, legal professionals, and healthcare providers to ensure a holistic approach to supporting the needs of children and adolescents.

How to Use This Course

This course consists of five modules, each building upon the previous one. After successfully passing the knowledge assessment at the end of the course, you can download and print a certificate of completion. This certificate is eligible for submission to the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) and the Association for Addiction Professionals to earn five continuing education (CE) credits.

This self-paced course allows you to start and stop as needed, automatically saving your progress. As you work through the modules, you will find interactive activities, case studies, and reflection exercises to enhance your learning experience. The course also includes 1) a glossary of key terms, 2) a reference list, and 3) a listing of supplemental resources to enhance your continued learning.

After completing the course, you are invited to complete a brief survey to share your satisfaction with the training. Your feedback will inform future content updates and improvements for an enhanced learner experience.

Acknowledgments

This course is supported by contract number 75S20422C00001 from the Children’s Bureau (CB), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), co-funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Disclaimer

The views, opinions, and content of this course are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of CB, ACF, SAMHSA, or the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The listing of any non-federal resources is not all-inclusive, and inclusion on the listing does not constitute endorsement by CB, ACF, SAMHSA, or DHHS.

Public Domain Notice

The information within this course is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from CB, ACF, or SAMHSA. The citation of the source is appreciated. However, this publication may only be reproduced or distributed for a fee with the specific written authorization of the Office of Communications, ACF, DHHS.

Recommended Citation

National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare. (2025). Online Tutorial for Treatment Professionals. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Accreditation Information

The National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) approved this course for five (5) continuing education (CE) credits under Children and Family Futures’ Provider Number 100645.