Abstract
Social workers working with families struggling with parental substance abuse within Child Protective Services can experience several different barriers when applying effective social work practice. Often families struggling with parental substance experience inequalities of services and a higher rate of reentry into Child Protective Services. This qualitative content analysis study examined the barriers social worker’s have when working with families struggling with parental substance abuse. After interviewing fifteen participants, the following three themes emerged: 1) substance abuse training, 2) barriers to social work practice in CPS, and 3) barriers regarding the Dependency Court process. Implications for social work practice and policy are discussed.