Engaging Dads in Services for Families Affected by Substance Use Disorders—A Virtual Discussion

Wednesday, June 22, 2022, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET

A family-centered approach reflects an understanding and responsiveness to the fact that parents and children live within the context of a larger family system and services must respond to the needs of each family member and the family system to achieve the best outcomes. Children with actively involved fathers have better outcomes.ⁱ Engaging fathers in services for families affected by substance use disorders, particularly in the perinatal period, remains challenging due to: 1) historical exclusion of men in services for families, 2) biases against fathers as caregivers, and 3) lack of understanding about the integral role of parenthood in the lives of men.ⁱⁱ Because of these challenges, unique approaches are needed to engage and retain fathers in programs aimed at improving outcomes for families affected by substance use disorders. A Plan of Safe Care is one tool that service providers can use to organize, support, and guide a father’s engagement in the earliest period of their child’s life, setting the stage for a lifetime of connection.

Join NCSACW team members and panelists from the CREOKS Health Services in Oklahoma and Hushabye Nursery in Arizona for a virtual conversation on the importance of engaging fathers in services for families affected by substance use disorders (SUDs) in the perinatal period and beyond. This discussion focuses on recognizing challenges to father engagement and exploring strategies to improve the involvement of fathers to support optimal family well-being.

The session will help attendees:

• Understand the importance of engaging fathers in plans of safe care and services by using fatherhood program approaches and elements
• Learn strategies to overcome challenges of father involvement, including distrust of programs, feeling misunderstood, fear of discrimination and punitive approaches, competing time priorities, and challenges related to co-parenting
• Identify the next steps child welfare, SUD treatment providers, court systems, and other community agencies can take to strengthen and improve father engagement

To learn more about Plans of Safe Care prior to this session, we encourage you to watch this video What is a Plan of Safe Care? excerpted from the NCSACW developed video Plans of Safe Care-What Your Multidisciplinary Team Needs to Know.

REGISTER HERE

You may submit questions in advance of the session during the registration process.

Contact Us

NCSACW is a national resource center providing information, expert consultation, training, and technical assistance to child welfare, dependency court, and substance use treatment professionals to improve the safety, permanency, well-being, and recovery outcomes for children, parents, and families. Reach us via email or visit our website.

This session is sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Children’s Bureau, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).