Poster 5 - Recovery-Focused Child Welfare: Social and Economic Benefits of START
Monday, April 27, 2026
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM MDT
Location: Screen 4, Exhibit Hall Poster Pavilion
Substance use has profound financial and social costs for communities, particularly for children and families. To address these challenges, Ohio implemented the Sobriety, Treatment, and Recovery Teams (START) model in 2017. In 2025, a Social Return on Investment (SROI) study revealed that START generated millions in taxpayer and community savings by reducing foster care placements, strengthening families, lowering criminal justice involvement, and disrupting cycles of addiction. This poster highlights the study’s key findings and demonstrates how recovery-focused, family-centered approaches in child welfare create measurable social and economic value.
Learning Objectives:
Explain the key components of the START model and how it addresses the complex challenges of parental substance use and child welfare involvement.
Summarize findings from Ohio’s Social Return on Investment (SROI) study, highlighting the measurable benefits for families, communities, and taxpayers.
Identify practical lessons and strategies for implementing recovery-focused, family-centered approaches in child welfare systems to improve outcomes and generate social value.
Disclosure(s):
Jen McClellan, PhD, LISW-S: No financial relationships to disclose
