This month we are shining the light on the Regional Partnership Program or RPP.
RPP is Lund’s partnership with the Vermont Department for Children and Families to improve permanency and safety for children in families where parental substance use is a concern. The program supports parents and caregivers in accessing and engaging in substance use disorder treatment. The goals of the program are to:
- increase child safety
- increase timely access to treatment
- decrease family disruption.
RPP case managers screen families for presence or risk of substance use disorder. If the initial screening indicates need for further assessment or treatment, case managers support parents in addressing barriers to successful treatment engagement. This can include concrete barriers such health insurance or transportation, as well as internal barriers which are addressed through a motivational enhancement approach.
The program started in 2007 as a five year federal demonstration partnership grant with the Burlington Family services district. When the federal grant ended in 2012, the positive outcomes were so significant that the State of Vermont decided to not only invest in continuing the program but to also expand to a new district, St Albans. By 2017 the program and State funding expanded to be present in all 12 DCF family services district offices across the state. Below are the 2018 outcomes for the program:
- 1,139 parents/caregivers were referred to the Regional Partnership Program for Substance use screening
- 80% of caregivers/parents who were determined to be in need of treatment successfully engaged in that treatment by the end of their services with RPP.
- 86% of parents who engaged in RPP services decreased their substance use by the closing of their RPP case.
