Pubdate: Sun, 22 Jan 2017 Source: Boston Globe (MA) Copyright: 2017 Globe Newspaper Company Contact: http://services.bostonglobe.com/news/opeds/letter.aspx?id=6340 Website: http://bostonglobe.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/52 PROGRAM HITS HOME IN TARGETING ADDICTS AND THEIR CHILDREN I'd like to commend The Boston Globe for bringing attention to a new home-based program for children and families affected by the opioid epidemic ("A new program targets children of opioid addicts," Business, Jan. 16). As the article notes, parental substance use disorders present safety, developmental, and attachment-related risks to children, and this is especially so for those under 5 years of age. Sadly, the number of children affected by parental substance use disorders in the United States has more than doubled. For example, from 1998 to 2012, cases in which children were removed from the home because of parental alcohol or substance use rose from 14 to 31 percent of all cases of children being removed. However, in a catch-22 scenario, many parents are unable to gain access to treatment for substance use disorders because they are caring for young children. Home-based programs succeed by bringing treatment directly to parents while engaging children in early-intervention services that offset the impact of parental substance use disorders. Thank you to the Globe for showcasing progress and innovation in treatment, in contrast to the drumbeat of despair and hopelessness one often sees in the media. Shelley Steenrod Salem The writer is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at Salem State University. - --- MAP posted-by: