The Pathways to Permanency project, a VAYA Health initiative to align the work of the child welfare and behavioral health systems, is continuing to make progress by engaging participants from each of the six workgroups to create sustainable change. Each workgroup has identified multiple solutions for which they are currently developing implementation plans. It has been salient to the workgroup participants that individuals with lived experience are engaged in this work and have space to share their thoughts on the barriers and solutions. Recently, the “Quality, Accessible Continuum of Behavioral Health Services” workgroup held a focus group to learn about the barriers birth parents encounter when engaging in mental health and substance use treatment.
In North Carolina, 41-50% of children are reported to be removed from their parents’ custody due to alcohol or other drug use, slightly higher than the national average of 38.9% (AFCARS, 2019). It is often reported that parental substance use is one of the largest drivers of child welfare involvement. Considering this, the behavioral health workgroup decided to engage birth parents to learn more about their experiences.
The birth parent focus group was attended by individuals that are currently providing peer support services within the VAYA Health catchment. Not only did they have their own lived experience to draw from, but also the experiences of individuals who currently have child welfare involvement. Their stories were ladened with personal and systemic challenges. Descriptions of unhealed trauma, systemic re-traumatization, and hopelessness were expressed.
Overall, birth parents felt it imperative for professionals to have empathy for birth parents involved with the child welfare system. Change does not occur instantly, and having your child removed from your home and custody is heartbreaking, often sending parents into more active addiction to cope. It was expressed that it is critical for professionals to get to know birth parents personally so individualized plans can be developed to address the needs of each birth parent. Treatment is not a one-size fits all approach and it is important to make sure that the treatment recommended is a good fit. Coupled with socio-economic barriers and the inability to meet basic needs, overcoming addiction is difficult but not driven by a lack of care and concern for their children.
The opportunity to engage birth parents in this process is invaluable. It is essential to be educated about the barriers in a system by those who have been challenged with navigating it. These as well as additional themes will be shared with the workgroup and the project stakeholders to determine how it can be further incorporated into cross system solutions to improve services for child-welfare-involved families.
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