Aiding Drug Impacted Children In Out-of-Home Care

The OJJDP FY 2019 Opioid Affected Youth Initiative(OAYI)will fund sites to develop a data-driven coordinated response to identify and address challenges resulting from opioid abuse that are impacting youth and community safety. The OAYI will support states, units of local government, and/or tribal governments to (1) develop a multidisciplinary task force with working groups to identify specific areas of concern; (2) collect and interpret data that will assist the task force in developing strategies and programming that will be used to better coordinate response efforts and resources; and (3) implement services that will address public safety concerns, intervention, prevention, and diversion services for children, youth, and families directly impacted by opioid abuse.

The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners will use funding to facilitate rapid access to care for at-risk children, expand coverage of services, generate expertise among team members to address special needs of opioid affected children, implement family-focused and trauma informed care, and maximize resources across the system by sharing data. The goal of the project is to reduce child maltreatment and support family stability by using a public health approach to promoting healing and recovery. CA/NCF