Implementing Plans of Safe Care in Massachusetts: A Federal Mandate and Statewide Opportunity

Abstract

The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), signed into law by President Obama on July 22nd, 2016, required that all states receiving Child Abuse and Protection Treatment Act (CAPTA) grants implement Plans of Safe Care for substance-exposed newborns (SEN). A Plan of Safe Care must address the health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment needs of substance-exposed infants and their family members. The CARA amendment to CAPTA also mandates that States create a plan for which agency will be responsible for Plans of Safe Care as well as develop systems to monitor the implementation of these plans to ensure that local entities are complying with state requirements for service provision. This report seeks to build on the Commonwealth’s existing efforts in order to comply with the federal mandate for Plans of Safe Care and leverage this as an opportunity to coordinate care and services for families of substance-exposed newborns.