WEEKLY UPDATE: 09/10/26
The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) is hosting an important training for hospital staff — including OBGYN, psychiatry, nursing, social work, and mental health professionals — who work with pregnant and/or parenting individuals who have had substance-exposed pregnancies. Delivered by the Substance Exposed Pregnancy Initiative of Connecticut (SEPI-CT), this interactive in-person workshop, “Know Your Role: An Overview of CAPTA and Family Care Plans for Hospital Providers,” will be held on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 9:00-11:00 a.m. at CHA (110 Barnes Road, Wallingford, CT). Click here to register.
Facilitators will teach participants about:
- Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) mandates, including federal and state policies requiring a notification process to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) when a baby is born who has been prenatally exposed to substances; training includes understanding the differences between a CAPTA notification and a DCF report
- Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) mandates, including federal policy requiring a Family Care Plan (FCP; formerly known as “Plans of Safe Care”) — a document that provides a roadmap of supports for the birthing person, baby, and family — to be completed for newborns affected by substance use, withdrawal symptoms, or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
- While best practice is for an FCP to be developed before birth, if a CAPTA notification is being submitted and there is no FCP, it is the responsibility of the hospital to develop one with the patient
- Connecticut CAPTA and FCP legislation enacted in 2018
Participants will be trained on:
- How their role supports CAPTA protocols/procedures
- How to access the CAPTA portal and submit CAPTA notifications to DCF after a substance-exposed infant is born in the hospital
- How to develop FCPs in collaboration with patients, families, and caretakers
Hospital staff are instrumental to the implementation of federal and state CAPTA and FCP mandates within their systems. Supporting staff with the knowledge and tools needed for implementation, while addressing stigma related to substance use, is essential to successful implementation. Training provides staff with a foundational understanding of CAPTA and FCP requirements, as well as practical guidance on how to initiate conversations about substance use in a nonjudgmental, supportive, and non-stigmatizing manner.
This in-person training wraps up the 2026 Parents Recovering from Opioid and Other Use Disorders (PROUD) Summer Series, themed Strengthening Care for Parents in Recovery.
Click here to register for the upcoming “Know Your Role: An Overview of CAPTA and Family Care Plans for Hospital Providers” workshop on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 9:00-11:00 a.m. at CHA (110 Barnes Road, Wallingford, CT).
Participants are eligible to receive 1.5 continuing education credits (CECs) through the CT National Association of Social Workers and 1.5 Contact Hours through the CT Certification Board.
