ACL contracts with WRMA

Summary

As the front-line social service response system for older adults and adults with disabilities at risk of abuse, neglect, self-neglect, and exploitation, adult protective services (APS) may be the first agency to interact with community-residing adults impacted by substance use. In recent years, APS cases involving substance use issues have increased in both number and complexity, underscoring the importance of providing APS with resources and infrastructure to effectively support clients impacted by substance use.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) contracted with WRMA to develop, implement, and evaluate a pilot program to help APS agencies better serve clients impacted by opioids and other substances.

Details

APS caseworkers are well-positioned to provide support and resources to clients who are impacted by opioids or other substance use issues. However, APS caseworkers often lack the tools, training, and other resources necessary for addressing substance use issues with clients and alleged perpetrators. Additionally, APS agencies lack the data infrastructure to track and assess the impact of opioids and other substance use issues on their clients.

ACL tasked WRMA with 1) developing a strategy and providing resources to APS agencies and caseworkers in implementing an infrastructure to screen and intervene with clients and alleged perpetrators at risk of substance use, and 2) testing the effectiveness of the strategy over a 12-month pilot period.

Drawing heavily on our APS subject matter expertise, WRMA worked collaboratively with ACL to develop a quick, effective, and evidence-based intervention that APS caseworkers can use during investigations. WRMA is providing comprehensive technical assistance to three pilot sites to support systems change efforts. To prepare APS caseworkers to implement the intervention, WRMA developed and conducted a series of virtual trainings and published a self-directed e-Learning course. Additionally, WRMA is supporting pilot sites’ IT staff in creating systems to collect standardized data on substance use risk and referrals to inform their future efforts.

WRMA has designed a mixed-methods evaluation to assess the pilot implementation process and outcomes. WRMA plans to conduct in-depth interviews and focus groups with APS administrators and caseworkers to identify challenges and solutions encountered while preparing and implementing the pilot activities. Additionally, WRMA will analyze case-level administrative data from each APS pilot site to quantify the frequency and scope of APS cases involving substance use.

Based on the evaluation findings, WRMA will update the materials developed for the pilot and create a replicability guide that ACL can disseminate to other APS agencies interested in expanding their capabilities to support clients facing opioids and other substance use issues.