FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2020
Contact:
For Public Health Management Corporation
Emily Charles, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Meet the Philadelphia Coalition on Children and Opioids
More than 20 organizations have partnered to reduce the impact of opioid use on families
PHILADELPHIA – Thanks to funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, Philadelphia organizations and public leaders have come together as the The Philadelphia Coalition on Children and Opioids. Through this public/private partnership of 23 organizations and individuals, The Coalition will develop and implement recommendations to reduce the impact of the opioid crisis on child welfare-involved families in Philadelphia.
The primary objective of the initiative is to create a comprehensive strategy involving public and private systems of care to prevent opioid misuse among families and ensure a prompt and comprehensive response when opioid use is present. The focus is to not only foster collaboration among multiple systems, but to develop a seamless and integrated response to address the needs of the children impacted.
“Parental substance use is the second leading cause for child home removal and is a factor in more than one-third of all foster care placements nationally,” said Keli McLoyd, JD, Director, Philadelphia Coalition on Children and Opioids and Policy Analyst, Research & Evaluation Group at Public Health Management Corporation. “Since 2017, the number of foster care placements has surged alongside the nation’s rising opioid overdose rates. A community driven, cross sector response is essential to achieve systemic change and improve outcomes for families in Philadelphia.”
The five goals of The Coalition are to implement additional child welfare worker trainings, launch system-wide opioid education opportunities, enhance child welfare services, guide cross-system collaboration and ensure sustainability and momentum. The Coalition is comprised of thought leaders in the child welfare, behavioral health, community health, legal and advocacy communities as well as individuals with lived experience with opioid addiction.
Member organizations include Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha, Bethanna, Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, Catholic Social Services – Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Children's Crisis Treatment Center, Community Behavioral Health, Community Legal Services, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Philadelphia County, Health Federation of Philadelphia, MATER/Jefferson University Hospital, Maternity Care Coalition, National Nurse-Led Care Consortium, Northeast Treatment Centers, Philadelphia Department of Human Services, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Philadelphia Legal Assistance, Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office, Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), PHMC Research & Evaluation Group, Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation, Tabor Children's Services, Temple University and Turning Points for Children.
The Philadelphia Coalition on Children and Opioids is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. To learn more about The Philadelphia Coalition on Children and Opioids, please visit https://www.philaopioidcoalition.org/.
About The Coalition
The Philadelphia Coalition on Children and Opioids is a public/private partnership of 23 organizations and individuals who have come together to develop and implement a series of recommendations targeted at reducing the impact the opioid crisis has on children and families in Philadelphia. The Coalition is convened by Turning Points for Children, a subsidiary of Public Health Management Corporation, supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime.
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