1. NAME OF PROGRAM: Restoring Families

2. PURPOSE OF PROGRAM: Since the initial removal of children from their home has reunification as the primary goal, Restoring Families is a reunification program that is offered to help reunite parents with children who have been removed from the home and are now in DSS custody. The expectation for this program is that by offering a new and comprehensive approach to restoring substance-abusing families, who can demonstrate success in overcoming that barriers, the number of children in DSS custody will be lessened.

3. APPLICATION PROCEDURES: The application procedures include:

1. Referrals for this program will generally come from a foster care social worker or someone working with a parent whose children have been taken into DSS custody. The parent must have a substance abuse issue as a contributing factor for removal.
2. Referrals can be obtained from the Restoring Families social worker or supervisor. The referral must be completed by the referring social worker in its entirety.
3. The Restoring Families supervisor will review the referral and a core team panel will review the referral.
4. If the case is accepted, the Restoring Families social worker or supervisor will contact the referring agent.
5. The parent must agree to working with the program because it is voluntary.

4. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: This program, much like Intensive Family Preservation Services, is intensive in its approach. The Restoring Families social worker is on call to the family 24 hours a day, seven days per week. However, the following criteria must be met:

1. Parents must have a clinical diagnosis of substance abuse which has caused or contributed to the child’s removal from the home.
2. The goal must be reunification.
3. The children must be out of the home for at least 15 days prior to the case being accepted for services, but no more than 15 months.
4. The Restoring Families social worker may only serve four families at one time, or no more than eight children.
5. The parent must demonstrate a true willingness to overcome the substance abuse problem, and he or she must fully participate in some form of substance abuse treatment and/or on-going recovery plan.

5. OTHER PROGRAM DETAILS: A specially trained Restoring Families social worker will work with these families and provide support and direction in order to help the parent meet treatment goals and work toward stabilizing the family. This program requires a team of professionals and family support systems to meet routinely to discuss the outcome and objectives of each case. Recommendations are made to encourage the family’s success and link the family with resources to become stable and ultimately thrive.

6. DATE OF INFORMATION: May 1, 2001