RPG: Creating a Village (RPG:CAV): Comprehensive Family Recovery and Preservation Services for Families Affected by Parental Substance Use - RPG: Creating a Village (RPG:CAV) is a comprehensive, family-centered initiative designed to improve safety, permanency, and well-being for children affected by parental substance use disorders and child welfare involvement across ten rural Missouri counties: Barry, Camden, Dallas, Greene, Laclede, Lawrence, Polk, Stone, Taney, and Webster. Led by Missouri Empowerment Project (MEP), the proposed five-year project will serve 600 families with children in out-of-home care or at imminent risk of removal due to parental substance use. RPG:CAV integrates substance use disorder treatment, recovery support, mental health counseling, intensive in-home family support, evidence-based parent education, drug testing, and coordinated case management through a multidisciplinary network of child welfare, healthcare, judicial, behavioral health, and community partners. Participants will receive individualized, trauma-informed services based on comprehensive assessments and an integrated treatment plan designed to strengthen parental recovery, improve parenting capacity, and promote safe family reunification. The project will compare two evidence-based parenting interventions—Nurturing Parenting and Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®)—to evaluate their effectiveness in improving family functioning, parenting skills, child well-being, and permanency outcomes for families affected by substance use disorders. Outcomes will be measured through standardized assessments, administrative data, and continuous quality improvement activities. Through strong regional partnerships and an integrated continuum of care, RPG:CAV seeks to reduce child maltreatment, decrease foster care placements and re-entry, increase timely reunification, strengthen sustained parental recovery, and improve long-term outcomes for children and families in rural Missouri while creating a sustainable model for coordinated family recovery services
