LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW), in partnership with the Department for Community Based Services, is proud to announce that the Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) program has received the Certified State Infrastructure Affiliate designation from the National START Training and Technical Assistance Program at Children and Family Futures.
This certification is in recognition of the START program’s commitment to model fidelity, high-quality implementation, and sustained infrastructure to support families in Kentucky.
The START program, a nationally recognized model, 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.
Essential elements of the 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.
Recently, START gained national attention from the Administration for Children and Families for START’s work utilizing prevention services and Title-IV-E federal funding to prevent child removal.
This certification demonstrates the START team’s leadership in building and maintaining the foundational systems necessary to implement START with fidelity across multiple local counties in Kentucky.
“The resilience of our team is the heart of what makes our team so strong. We’ve got amazing frontline staff, great supervisors, and we’re incredibly proud and thankful to be part of this and earn this certification,” John Lewis, START program director, said.
The designation is awarded based on a demonstrated ability to drive implementation, quality improvement, and competency development at the state level. Certification is valid for three years, with annual reporting and collaborative cross-site events required to maintain status.
“START gave me a chance and never gave up on me,” a START participant said. “START was there for me and reminded me that I am not alone. Today, I have my life back. I am proud of me today.”
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.
