Co-occurring Disorders and Child Welfare Quick Reference Booklet

There is hope for recovery for individuals managing cooccurring mental health and substance disorders. With the right support networks, integrative treatments, and community resources an individual living with a co-occurring disorder (COD) can parent effectively and meet the needs of their children. When working with families coping with a COD, it is important to acknowledge the incredible resilience and strength displayed by all members of the family. Always remember, it takes courage and trust for families to engage with child welfare professionals. By working together, with grace and mutual respect, we can support Minnesota families living with CODs.

This booklet includes valuable information and practice considerations to inform your work with families in which parents or caregivers have both a COD and need for child welfare services.

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This guide was published by the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW), School of Social Work, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. This issue was supported, in part, by grant #GRK129722 from Minnesota Department of Human Service, Children and Family Services Division. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center, School, College, University or their funding source.

For more information on this topic, watch the Supporting Recovery in Parents with Co-Occurring Disorders in Child Welfare training videos and read Practice Notes Issue #26: Supporting Recovery in Parents with Co-Occurring Disorders in Child Welfare and Practice Notes #31—Relapse Prevention Planning with Parents with Co-Occurring Disorders in Child Welfare.