Promising Practices in the Field Some of the states most affected by the growth in illegal methamphetamine manufacturing have successfully implemented coordinated multidisciplinary programs to help children found living at illegal meth labs. The following descriptions of programs in California, Idaho, and Washington include promising practices that can be adapted by other jurisdictions around the country. Washington Residential meth lab cleanup crews in Washington report that children were, or had been, present at approximately 35 percent of the labs they have investigated. The Department of Social and Health Services is working with the Washington State Patrol, Department of Health, and Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development to develop a model response protocol. Additional training for CPS workers is planned. Efforts are under way to form multiagency response teams on a regional basis. Meth action teams are being formed in many communities. The Governor’s Methamphetamine Workgroup has recommended a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that outlines individual agency responsibilities, joint procedures, and an agreement to share information and data. Recommendations for cross-system collaboration include protocols for health departments, police agencies, hospitals and medical providers, substance abuse treatment providers, environmental health agencies, and child welfare agencies. Pierce and Thurston Counties coordinated their approach for responding to children found in meth labs: the law enforcement agency handles the drug-related criminal issues; the health department handles the site cleanup; the CPS worker transports the children to the hospital or to a medical care provider, where the children are evaluated and treated; and all personnel provide information to the prosecutor, who files the appropriate charges. The emphasis in Pierce County is on a continuum of care. Pierce County has established a written MOU for CPS, law enforcement, the prosecuting attorney’s office, and a children’s hospital and health center. The MOU specifies the services to be provided by each agency. CPS assigns social workers and a CPS supervisor to each case. Social workers receive a pager and are available as needed. Law enforcement personnel provide advance information to CPS when appropriate. Exchange of information proceeds in a timely manner. The prosecuting attorney’s office reviews and prosecutes all appropriate cases in which children are exposed to hazardous toxic materials involved in manufacturing methamphetamine. The children’s hospital receives and treats children exposed to chemicals in accordance with protocols modeled after California’s DEC program, including medical assessment, blood and urine testing, and a respiratory check within 24 hours. The Pierce County CPS worker responds immediately when law enforcement personnel find children living at meth lab sites. All children found at meth lab sites are decontaminated and taken into protective custody. The CPS worker uses a designated state car stocked with toys, stuffed animals, food, water, formula, and extra clothes and immediately transports the children for a full medical assessment. A local community service group provides a quilt for each child through its Project Linus. Following the medical checkup, the children are placed with appropriate relatives or in foster care. A receiving center/foster home program has been established in the region. All foster parents have received special training and are educated in issues associated with children found in meth labs. Of the 67 children removed from meth labs in Pierce County in 2001, the majority were not returned home after the initial placement.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 03:40:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015