LEXINGTON, Ky. – Demonstrating commitment to model fidelity, high-quality implementation, and sustained infrastructure to support families in Kentucky, the Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) program has received a three-year recertification for the Boyd, Jefferson and Kenton County sites.
The START program, housed at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) in partnership with the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), is a nationally recognized model that pairs child protective services (CPS) workers trained in family engagement with family mentors (peer support employees in long-term recovery) using a system-of-care and team decision-making approach with families, treatment providers and the courts.
This recertification demonstrates the START team’s leadership in building and maintaining the foundational systems necessary to facilitate the START program with fidelity across multiple local counties in Kentucky.
“Achieving recertification brings added technical assistance and specialized START training for our frontline staff,” said John Lewis, START Program Director. “These opportunities strengthen our team and ultimately translate to higher-quality service for the families we serve.”
Essential elements of the START model include quick entry to START services to safely maintain child placement in the home when possible and rapid access to intensive addiction and mental health assessment and treatment.
“This recertification is a reminder of the larger impact we’re making in child welfare,” Lewis said. “The work can be emotionally challenging but I hope this achievement helps our team see that their efforts matter and that they are changing lives for families.”
Recently, in April 2025, START received the Certified State Infrastructure Affiliate designation from the National START Training and Technical Assistance Program at Children and Family Futures, awarded based on a demonstrated ability to drive implementation, quality improvement, and competency development at the state level. This provided START provided with credentials as Qualified State START Training and Technical Assistance Providers.
As START remains an impactful program across Kentucky and the United States, it stays true to its values and hopes to help more families struggling with substance misuse. For more information about START, please visit the START website.
