October 2023Vol. 24, No. 8Applying an Equity Lens to Collaborative Practice

The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) released the brief Key Considerations for Applying an Equity Lens to Collaborative Practice. The brief is a response to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) information memorandum Equity in Action: Prioritizing and Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities, which makes clear ACF's commitment to elevating the importance of equity at all levels and lists actionable steps programs can follow to prioritize equity.

The brief focuses on the memorandum's first recommendation, which calls on human services providers to review existing policies to assess how they affect disproportionality and disparities and revise those policies to create systems-level change. The brief provides key considerations for systems-level policy efforts and practice strategies and innovations. 

This brief is also a companion piece that builds on the Center for Children and Family Futures (CCFF) resource Comprehensive Framework to Improve Outcomes for Families Affected by Substance Use Disorders and Child Welfare Involvement. This framework is a set of strategies for communities to improve equitable outcomes, and the resource provides an introduction to five systems-level policy efforts and practice strategies.

The NCSACW brief includes several questions to consider alongside the key considerations from the CCFF framework, which teams can use when evaluating their policies and practices through a lens of equity. These questions can help guide conversations that are centered on equitable access and reducing disproportionality and disparity. Resources to help support each consideration are also included.

Read the full NCSACW brief and access the additional resources.