Pathways to Collaboration: Exploring Values and Collaborative Practice Between Child Welfare and Substance Abuse Treatment Fields

Abstract

Although recent research has highlighted the importance of “bridging the gap” between child welfare and substance abuse treatment delivery systems, few studies examine specific factors that may facilitate such collaboration. This study examined similarities and differences in values and perceived capacity for collaboration between substance abuse and child welfare fields based on survey data from more than 350 respondents in 12 California counties. Although respondents across disciplines held similar values in some areas, such as priorities for services, significant differences between respondents from child welfare and substance abuse fields were found in other areas, including values and beliefs about drug use and drug-using parents, funding, and planning and measurement of outcomes. Respondents from counties with a strong history of collaboration were more likely to report institutionalized collaborative practices in several areas, from use of multidisciplinary teams for case planning to use of multiyear budgeting to plan for integrated services.