This document addresses the societal impact of substance use disorder and drug overdose deaths by examining how law enforcement, courts, child welfare, and schools have traditionally intersected with behavioral health, and presents eight key factors for successful cross-sector collaboration.
This report discusses the societal impacts of substance use disorders (SUDs) and overdose deaths, highlighting the negative consequences for the individuals with SUDs as well as their children and families; it notes that children with a parent or caregiver who has a SUD are more likely to experience trauma such as witnessing or experiencing violence, losing a caregiver to overdose, and removal from the home. The report examines how law enforcement, courts, child welfare, and schools have traditionally intersected with behavioral health; it defines cross-sector collaboration; and it highlights opportunities and challenges associated with collaboration across sectors. The report also highlights “eight key ingredients” to successful cross-sector collaboration across law enforcement, courts, child welfare, and schools, based on interviews with stakeholders who are engaged in those types of collaborative efforts across the country. The report is organized into three main sections, that describe traditional approaches, define cross-sector collaboration, and detail the “eight key ingredients,” plus a fourth main section that provides examples of successful cross-sector collaboration.