Pathways from Caregiver Substance Abuse to Child Harm

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): With over 1.5 million reports of child maltreatment assessed by child protective services (CPS) in 2010 and up to 80% of child welfare families experiencing substance abuse by a caregiver, it is imperative that we fully understand the extensive relationship between caregiver substance abuse and children experiencing harm in order to develop effective interventions targeted to address both substance abuse and child maltreatment in caregivers involved with the child welfare system.1,2 Through the use of secondary data analysis, this proposal aims to deepen our understanding of the relationship between caregiver substance abuse and harm to children within the child welfare system. Using the child welfare goals of safety, permanency, and well-being, child harm will be operationalized as CPS referrals for services and subsequent reports of maltreatment (safety), having children removed from the home (permanency), and children experiencing depression, trauma, emotional problems, or behavior problems (well-being).4 Secondary data analysis will utilize data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II (NSCAW II), a landmark, longitudinal national probability study of children and families investigated for child maltreatment, in order to examine the direct and indirect relationships from caregiver substance abuse to safety, permanency, and well-being indicators of child harm.6 In addition to conducting research, the proposed training plan will strengthen the fellowship applicant's research skills in the areas of advanced statistical methods, knowledge of drug and alcohol nosology, epidemiology, and comorbidity, provide mentorship in substance abuse and child welfare policy, practice, and research, and enhance her skills in scholarly writing and dissemination. Building upon the skills gained as a NIDA predoctoral fellow (T32), this research and training plan will prepare the applicant for her future goal of developing an effective substance abuse intervention for caregivers involved with CPS.