Concurrent Treatment of Substance Abuse and Child Maltreatment

The co-occurrence of child maltreatment and parental substance-use problems is a major public
health problem with serious consequences for children, parents, families, and the community
at large. The need for effective dual treatment of caregiver substance abuse and child
maltreatment is unquestionable, but there is a dearth of controlled treatment outcome studies
with substance-using parents who have engaged in child maltreatment. This project examines
two evidence-based treatments—Contingency Management for substance-use problems and Pathways
Triple P parenting intervention to improve parenting for prevention of child-maltreatment
recurrence. These two systematic interventions are being tested in the context of traditional
outpatient treatment for substance-use problems.