Preparing practitioners for child welfare practice with substance-abusing families

Child welfare practice and substance abuse treatment have become overlapping areas for many human service professionals. This article stresses the importance of combining perspectives, calling for the child welfare and alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse treatment systems to deal with both the mother's recovery and the child's well-being. Changes in attitudes, knowledge, and skills are required on the part of both the child welfare practitioner and the AOD abuse treatment worker.