ATLANTA -- October 21, 2012

Georgia State University has received a $4.8 million federal grant for a project meant to improve the lives of the families of people who receive substance abuse treatment through the DeKalb County Drug Court.

The five-year grant comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Substance abuse is strongly related to child abuse and neglect.

The multi-agency program plans to implement several services, including parenting programs and evidence-based trauma treatments. SafeCare, one of the models to be used, has been shown to improve parenting and reduce child maltreatment.

The evaluation team will examine how SafeCare and other services improve outcomes for children of drug court participants.