The START model
START pairs a child welfare worker and a family mentor to support families identified during a child protection assessment or investigation as needing ongoing services due to parental substance use. (The model refers to the pairing as a dyad.) When implemented with fidelity, START has shown improved outcomes for children and families. The model uses a variety of strategies — early identification of eligible families, rapid access to services, peer supports, intensive case management — to promote collaboration and systems-level change within and between child welfare agencies, substance use and mental health treatment providers, the judicial system, and other family-serving entities.

The goals of START are to:

• Ensure child safety and well-being.

• Prevent and/or decrease out-of-home placements

• Increase parental recovery from Substance Use Disorders

• Increase parenting capacity and family stability.

• Reduce repeat child maltreatment.

• Improve system capacity for collaborative, timely, and targeted services.

 

At the heart of the START model is the spirit of engaging families with compassion, understanding, equity, and hope for recovery. This philosophy is woven throughout — from supporting and holding each other accountable as a collaborative team, to empowering each member of the family unit.

Peer Recovery Support
To form the START dyad, a caseworker is paired with a family mentor — an individual in long-term recovery who has lived experience with the child welfare system. Family mentors bring a unique and invaluable skill set by virtue of their recovery experience and willingness to share it with families and other team members. The mentors serve as both advocate and role model — a personification of hope and inspiration, a living example of recovery.