OTHER-2025-030-Acceptance of the Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) Grant with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Servicess and approval of related budget amendment #8-B

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Docusign Envelope ID: 50585F21-A738-4303-BD3F-60841076ED5E Contract Number 00048145 / Page 9 of 30 SCOPE OF WORK BACKGROUND The Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) model is a child welfare led intervention that has been shown, when implemented with fidelity, to improve outcomes for both parents and children affected by child maltreatment and parental substance use disorders (SUD) . START is an evidence-based child abuse and neglect prevention service that serves families where substance use has created a safety risk to thew children. The program targets such families with children from ages birth (0) through five (5) who become involved with child protective services where it is determined that the parent' s substance use is the primary child safety-factor. START is specifically designed to transform the system-of-care within and between child welfare agencies and SUD treatment providers ; it also engages the judicial system and other family serving agencies . It includes a complex amay of strategies such as peer mentor supports , quick access to intensive SUD treatment, cross-system collaboration, intensive case management, and a family-centered approach. Children and Family Futures (CFF) is the model purveyor, a twenty-five (25) year-old nonprofit that provides consultation, training, technical assistance, strategic planning, and evaluation services that are focused on the intersection of child welfare, substance use and mental disorder treatment, and court systems . CFF serves as the headquarters for the National START Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Program. CFF is the only entity that can provide the training, technical assistance, and consultation required to implement the START model . No other entity can train, certify, or otherwise approve teams or dyads to provide START services . PURPOSE The Grantee will work with the Division to implement the START program within the county. Ongoing technical assistance (TA) , coaching, and consultation will be provided to child welfare leadership and font-line staff to resolve implementation issues and barriers . CFF worked with the state to customize a package for consultation, training, and technical assistance (TTA) for every stage of implementation, supporting site readiness, including the development of partnerships between SUD treatment providers, the courts, and other factors . TA will be delivered virtually in most instances, but some in-person TA is possible. TA for county leadership will be at Ieast monthly for the first 6- 12 months and may decrease to quarterly based on implementation progress and need; TA for frontline staff will be at least monthly once they are identified/liked. A series of four START Foundations trainings will be provided by CFF to county leadership, frontline staff, and community partners . Trainings may be virtual or in person. Virtual tramings will be hosted on the CFF Zoom platform. CFF will work with the state and local START Steering Committees to determine the order and timing of each training based on readiness, identification of staff, and preparedness to begin serving families . • Foundations L Introduction to START — This six-hour training for chill welfare and treatment provider leadership and community partners provides an overview of the National START Model and an introduction to the Essential Components and Fidelity Standards. If available, social workers , family mentors, service coordinators, and other START staff are encouraged to attend. • Foundations II: Family Mentor Hiring and Supervision This six-hour training prepares local START programs for the hiring and supervision of family mentors. Participants for this training include START supervisors and managers. Note: Use of the processes outlined in the Family Mentor Hiring Guide, which is reviewed dining this training, is a requirement for START implementation and ultimately certification. This training will be provided early in the Installation phase to allow hiring to occur before the last foundations training. • Foundations III: Treatment Provider Strategies — This 6-hour training for child welfare and treatment provider leadership and front-line staff will focus on treatment provider strategies within START that support treatment and child welfare outcomes . This training is open to community partners.