The Drug Endangered Child Training Network is an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) funded project that seeks to increase community and professional awareness of the impact of adult drug involvement on children. Additional funding provided by Operation UNITE.

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Vision Statement

Children who are living in families and in communities with high rates of substance abuse can benefit from a community team response that is based on evidence, best practice, and cooperation of all groups to rescue, shelter, defend, and protect children and to enhance their opportunities for health, education and lifelong well-being.

Our Mission

To meet the training needs of professionals who seek to provide care and support to parents who are involved in the manufacture, use, and trafficking of illicit substances and the children who are physically, sexually, or emotionally injured by the choices drug affected parents make.

Goals of DEC Training Network

• To increase access to affordable, reliable training information to professionals who work in law enforcement, child protection, education, mental health, and the health field.
• Local medical and law enforcement personnel will identify, rescue, shelter and defend drug endangered children.
• Children who are identified as drug endangered will receive crisis care through proper implementation of the National Medical Protocol for Drug Endangered Children (www.nationaldec.org).
• Create a network of professionals who share information and experiences to improve the lives of recovering persons and their children who are emotionally or physically injured because of addiction to drugs.
• Community professionals will have access to the most current information related to diagnosis, evaluation, treatment and care of drug endangered children.

  Outcome of a DEC Team May Include:

• Physical and emotional protection of children.
• Breaking the cycle of child abuse.
• Protection of exposed child's health.
• Establishment of community protocol through cooperation, sharing of information, and case coordination
• Restoration of family.
• Facilitating communication between various agencies.

For more information or to start a local DEC program, please contact Holly Hopper at hehopp2@uky.edu or Doug Burnham at burnham@uky.edu.

Terms Of Use

An Equal Opportunity University