Drug Endangered
Child Program (DEC)
A Proposal for a Multi-Disciplinary
Integrated Response System
Contents
 Overview
 Purpose
 Mission and Values
 Partnerships/Roles
 Training
 Protocols/Continuum of Care
 Evaluation
 References
Overview
 Nationally:

Drugs, $, and weapons are typical
seizures by LE agents during “controlled
buys” or clandestine lab raids;
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Growing phenomenon of children exposed
to the production, sale, and use of illicit
drugs
Overview
 500% increase in cases where
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Methamphetamine is drug of choice in TX
programs (Manning, 1999)
San Diego – Methamphetamine Capital
Production: multi-level, organized criminal
enterprise & “mom & pop shops”
Every state, county, and city now faced with the
need to respond
CY2004: 82/129 CHIPS Petitions - SLC
CY2001-04: SLC Sheriff -29 meth labs
Overview
 Methamphetamine (Meth)
 Man made, extremely addictive, CNS
stimulant. It is extremely powerful
 Known as: crank, ice, crystal, glass,
speed, mud, or chalk, etc
 Smoked, snorted, orally ingested, or
injected
Overview
Effects on Users
 Intense, pleasurable “high” last several
hours;
 Followed by an equally intense “crash”
 Addicts: extreme paranoia, anxiety,
confusion, hallucinations, violence,
depression, insomnia;
 Health: increased BP & heart rate,
dopamine depletion, kidney & liver
Before and After
Before and After
Overview
Methamphetamine Production
 Drug Cartels – Organized Crime
 Local Labs – Urbane, Rural
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Private Homes/Apartments
Hotels/Motels
Storage Facilities
Hunting Shacks/Cabins
Ice House,
etc
Meth Lab in a Home
Mobile Lab in a Vehicle
Ice House Lab
Meth Lab in a Cabin
Meth Labs - Dangers
 Fires
 Explosions
 Toxic Waste Sites
 Inhalation and exposure to toxic fumes
and chemicals
 Accidental ingestion of chemicals and
contaminated foods
 Chaos & poor supervision
 Adults involved in criminal behavior
Meth Labs/Homes - Hazards
 Drugs and drug paraphernalia
 Booby traps
 Guns & weapons
 Exposed wiring
 Chemicals in refrigerators
 Strangers
Dangers of Meth Labs
 Chemical hazards from
cooking process
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Solvents
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Corrosives
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Toxics
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Reactives
Meth Lab Waste
METH WASTE– BABBITT, MN
Meth Lab Dump Site
Overview
Dangers For Children
 Individuals involved in the production,
sale, and use of Methamphetamine
exhibit chaotic lifestyles;
 Their children are at significant risk of
physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect,
and drug-related violence by family
members and the array of strangers who
enter the home to buy or use drugs (Harris,
2004)
Purpose
 Community Responses to “Big
Problems”

1980’s – Domestic Violence & DAIP
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1990’s – Child Sexual Abuse & 1st Witness

2000’s – Drugs and Drug Endangered
Child Programs
Purpose
 Ensure children exposed to the production, use,
and sale of illicit drugs receive community
specific service delivery that meets their unique
needs;
 Facilitate the identification and collaboration of
various disciplines
 Build coalitions; Meth Task Force
 Jointly develop discipline-specific protocols
(review, revise, finalize, & publish)
Purpose
 Coordinate a multi-disciplinary integrated
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response to children
Team meetings, cross training, goals
Provide direct service to children
Organize neighborhoods & communities
Participate in the development and
implementation of creative community support
programming; Shared Family Care Program
Search for funding
Evaluate
Mission
 To Protect,
 Promote, and
 Improve the health and quality of life in
St. Louis County
Values
 Safety
 Permanency
 Well Being
 Collaboration
 Dedication
Partnerships
 Law Enforcement

Assume investigatory duties at the site of
the production, sale, or use of illicit drugs
 State
 Municipal
 Tribal
 County
Partnerships
 Fire, EMT, HAZMAT
Team
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Assist in the
management of
environmental
hazards from
production
 Testing
 Clean-up
Partnerships
 Medical
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Develop protocols
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Conduct medical evaluations & screenings
to ensure the child’s physical and mental
health needs are met
Partnerships
 Justice
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County Attorney’s Office, in conjunction
with municipalities and Tribal authorities,
would be responsible for litigation of
criminal drug cases and juvenile child
protection (CHIPS) cases;
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Public defenders and victim’s advocacy
would be a positive addition
Partnerships
 Public and Tribal Social Services
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Intake workers will provide for immediate protection
and safety; gather forensic data; transport for
evaluation and address placement need
DEC social worker will initiate the development of
the DEC program; assume co-coordination with
public health
Identify team members, build coalitions, develop
protocols, coordinate responses, facilitate team
meetings, etc.
Partnerships
 Public & Tribal Social Services
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DEC worker will conduct adjunctive home
visitations with families and children in
concert with pubic and tribal case
managers to ensure safety and well-being
(Kitzmann, 1997)
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DEC worker will assist in the recruitment,
initial training, and continuing education of
Shared Family Care Providers (Barth, 1994)
Partnerships
 Public Health
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Public Health Nurse (PHN) will initiate development
of the DEC program; assume co-coordination with
social services;
Identify team members, build coalitions, develop
protocols, coordinate responses, facilitate team
meetings, etc
PHN will conduct adjunctive home visitation; track
safety, well-being and progress
Foster Care Service
Shared Family Care (SFC)
 Dual – Adult & Child Licensed Foster
Home
 Services to parent with chemical health
issues and their child(ren)
 Provide assistance, mentoring, parent
skill training, independent living skills
training
 Keep family intact; and prepare them for
independence (Barth, 1994, 1999; Barth & Price, 2005)
Foster Care Services
Shared Family Care (SFC)
 Human Services Roles
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Provide dual licensed foster homes
Access to chemical health treatment and
support
Provide initial training; continuing
education for foster homes
Assistance and support services which
facilitates transition to independence within
the community
Foster Care Services
Shared Family Care (SFC)
 Public Health Role
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Pre/Post natal care monitoring
Child development education to parent and
provider
Child development monitoring/on-going
testing
Child immunizations
Assist with initial training and continuing
education of providers
Assist parent(s) with community transition
Training for DEC Teams
 Specialized training related to drug
cases and child maltreatment – forensic
data collection
 Drug environments – exposures
 Develop specific skill sets
 Develop curriculum and training modules
for SFC providers/mentors
 UMD – CW Spring Conference
Protocols
 Develop a response matrix for each
discipline or core agency
 Identify important responses or action
steps as it relates to:
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Team member
Their location
Procedure
Timeline
Documentation/reporting
Protocols
 Law Enforcement
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Assess condition of
the child
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Place child into
protective custody
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Collect physical
evidence
Protocols
 Fire – EMT –
HAZMET
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Coordination with
on-site law
enforcement
Stabilization –
respond to trauma
Field Assessments samples
Decontaminations
Protocols
 Public and Tribal
Social Services
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Accept transfer of
child & notify DEC
Team (SW/PHN)
Arrange for any
decontamination of
the child; medical
evaluations;
screenings; etc
Protocols
 Public & Tribal Social Services
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Conduct initial interviews
Network with foster care workers/providers
Provide community support services
Conduct home visitation
Organize /communities
Provide education/awareness
Protocols
 Public Health
 Collaborate with law enforcement and child
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protection services/DEC social worker
Network with the clinical/medical community
Conduct home visitation
Organize neighborhoods/communities
Provide public education/awareness
Protocols
 Medical
 Emergency
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Immediate
Treatment
 Non-Emergency
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Medical Exam
Screenings
Urine/Blood Samples
Protocols - Medical
Protocols
 Justice
 Review Evidence
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Criminal Charges
No Criminal Charges
Juvenile Court CHIPS
Protocols
 Foster Care – SFC
 Recruit
 Train
 Referral Process
 Screen placements
 Provide regular/periodic staffing for team
related to the placement of mother and child in
SFC
 Provide early and continuing mentorship for
parent in care
Evaluation - Outcomes
 Creation of a DEC program
 Participation of core community
agencies
 Train team members
 Review, rewrite, publish protocols
 Regular & periodic DEC program team
meetings
 Community outreach & education
Evaluation - Outcomes
 Children will have safe environments
 Children will receive appropriate
screenings and evaluations
 Children will receive appropriate
education
 SFC participants will remain together
 Parents will continue treatment and
recovery efforts
Evaluation - Outcomes
 Children placed in alternative care will be
reunited with parents or achieve
alternative permanency
References
 Barth, R.P. (1994). Shared Family Care: Child Protection and
Family Preservation. Social Work, 79, 515-525.
 Barth, R.P (1999). Shared Family Care: Providing Services to
Parents and Children Placed Together. Child Welfare, 78, 8898.
 Barth, R.P. & Price, A. (2005) Shared Family Care: Evidence
from Implementing an Innovative Child Protection and Family
Preservation Program. Forthcoming In J. Scott & H. Ward (Eds).
Promoting the Well Being of Vulnerable Children.
 Harris, J. (2004). Drug Endangered Children – Police Practice.
The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, February.
References
 Manning, T. (1999). Drug Labs and Endangered Children
– Children of Methamphetamine Makers. The FBI Law
Enforcement Bulleting, July.
 Kitzman, H., Olds, D.L., & Henderson, C.R. (1997). Long-
Term Effects of Home Visitation On Maternal Life Course
and Child Abuse and Neglect; Fifteen Year Follow-up of a
Randomized Trial. Journal of American Medical
Association, 278, 637-643.
References
 Photos
 Kurtz, David. (2004) Northwest Toxicology, Salt Lake City,
Utah. Presentation at the 2nd Annual Idaho Drug
Endangered Child Conference.
 Mendoza, E. (2004). Los Angeles County Department of
Children and Family Services, Bureau of Child Protection.
Presentation at the 2nd Annual Idaho Drug Endangered
Children Conference.
 Poppenberg, B. (2004) St. Louis County Public Health and
Human Services. Presentation at the St. Louis County
Human Service Confernece.
Websites
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http://www.nationaldec.org/index.asp
http://www.azag.gov/DEC/
http://www.colodec.org/index.asp
http://dec.co.riverside.ca.us/
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/
http://www.practicenotes.org/vol10_n2/ref_v10n
2.htm
 http://www.isp.state.id.us/DEC_Conference/mat
erials.html
 http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/meth/lab/
children.html