§290ee–5a Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams

Summary

The Secretary may give grants to States, local governments, or tribal governments to start or expand Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Team (START) or similar programs. These programs pair social workers or mentors with families that have substance use problems and child abuse or neglect. The goal is to provide peer support, focused treatment, and child welfare services. Grant money can be used for training staff (for example, social workers, treatment counselors, and mentors), expanding access to treatment and drug testing, improving data sharing with police, courts, child welfare, and treatment providers, and for evaluating and improving programs. Grantees must serve only families with an open child welfare case where substance use was a reason. Grantees must also coordinate these grants with any grant they get under section 629g(f) that helps children affected by substance abuse. The Secretary may keep up to 5 percent of the funds to pay the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare to provide technical help.