Acceptability and effectiveness of Ohio START: A child welfare service delivery model

Objective: This study aimed to explore the potential effects of a child welfare service delivery model called Ohio START (Sobriety, Treatment, And Reducing Trauma), a certified affiliate of the national START (Sobriety, Treatment, and Recovery Teams) model, which supports families through case closure. Background: Few family-based interventions targeting parental substance use disorder and child maltreatment among child welfare systems-impacted families have been evaluated. Methods: Participants (N = 198) completed surveys on family protective factors (i.e., social support, concrete support, family functioning, parenting knowledge, attachment) and sociodemographics. Six to 12 months following pretest completion, parents completed the post-START evaluation (i.e., duplicate surveys from enrollment, satisfaction survey [open−/closed-ended items]). Results: Descriptive statistics showed high levels of family protective factors pre- and post-START. Paired-samples t tests showed statistically significant increases in family functioning, t (74) = −2.09, p =.040, and total family protective factors post-START compared with pre-START, t (74) = −2.20, p =.031. However, no statistically significant increases were observed in other subscales. Thematic content analysis of open-ended survey items revealed the following themes: concrete resources, positive relationships with staff, family reunification, and willingness to participate in START again. Conclusion: Results suggest the potential for START to promote resilience among this population. Implications: Findings have implications for further investment in family-based models for this population that integrate peer supporters and use identified family strengths.