全球智库信息集成服务系统

This brief summarizes the challenges involved in serving rural families involved with the child welfare system who have substance use issues. A forthcoming companion brief will discuss promising strategies for serving these families. Key findings include:

• Rural communities often lack the resources to provide services to parents struggling with substance use issues. Rural economics, transportation and technological limitations exacerbate these challenges.
• Child welfare agencies and substance use treatment providers face particular challenges to collaboration with one another in rural communities. Stigma, lack of anonymity and misinformation compound these issues.
• Strategies specifically tailored to rural communities are needed to improve service access, develop workforce capacity and improve collaboration.