Keeping Score 1998

Drug Strategies

Keeping Score 1998

Pregnant and Parenting
Women's Programs

Boston, Massachusetts
Connecting with Women of Color
Research shows that only a small fraction of low-income, Hispanic and black pregnant women who need substance abuse treatment receive it. Experts attribute this to a range of factors, including a lack of culturally specific substance abuse and prenatal care services and language barriers. The Mom's Project, in collaboration with Boston City Hospital, works to enhance positive birth outcomes and provide access to substance abuse treatment for women in Boston's inner city communities, where high rates of infant mortality, low birthweight, HIV/AIDS and adolescent pregnancy are common. Although substance abuse rates among pregnant women are higher in these areas than throughout the city, women rarely utilize prenatal and substance abuse treatment services. The Mom's Project reaches women through aggressive community outreach, including treatment referrals, health education, and recovery support groups; other support services such as transportation, child care, food and clothing are also provided. The program provides critical links to substance abuse treatment and other health care. The Mom's Project, originally called Programa Mamá, was first developed to reach Hispanic women in inner city Boston. For more information, call (617) 534-7411.

Seattle, Washington
Preventing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Since 1991, the Seattle Advocacy Model has helped postpartum women protect their babies from the harmful effects of alcohol and other drugs. These women typically receive little prenatal care and may be difficult to trace after they give birth. The Seattle Advocacy Model establishes a three-year relationship between advocates and mothers beginning at delivery. The staff works with each participant through home visits. By assisting mothers with practical problems-from getting diapers to obtaining specialized medical care-advocates gradually gain their trust. The program also links women to helpful resources in the community. An evaluation of client outcomes is encouraging: 84 percent of clients have participated in treatment, and 48 percent have abstained from alcohol and other drugs for at least six months (significantly better than a control group). In addition, 97 percent of infants are receiving well-child care and are fully immunized. Initially supported by a five-year demonstration grant from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, the program is now funded by the state of Washington. To find out more, call (206) 543-7155.

Baltimore, Maryland
Acupuncture Against Addiction
Children whose mothers are addicted to drugs often end up in foster care. But the Maternal Substance Abuse Acupuncture Program (MSAAP) in Baltimo rereunites these families, using an unusual approach: intensive counseling, drug testing, parental training and acupuncture. Studies over the past 20 years indicate that acupuncture treatment can help alleviate the withdrawal symptoms associated with detoxification, and MSAAP confirms those findings. In a two-year research period, four women participating in MSAAP regained custody of 11 children, saving approximately $88,000 in foster care costs. MSAAP also resolved four cases without foster care services, saving an additional $100,000 per year. Client costs for the program were $531 per month. Collaboration with local social service agencies contributes to MSAAP's success. Administered by the University of Maryland, the program was originally funded jointly by the Abell Foundation and the Open Society Institute. For more information about MSAAP, call (410) 328-6600.

Xenia, Ohio
Mending Broken Lives
Desperation marks the lives of the women who find their way to the Women's Recovery Center, a four-acre facility in Southern Ohio. Many are homeless and have lost their children to foster care. Others have experienced sexual abuse, violence and drug-related crime. The Women's Recovery Center is where these broken lives begin to heal. Serving women from across Ohio, the Center treats substance abuse and other health problems. It is a welcoming place that does not turn away women who cannot pay. Those who are pregnant, HIV-positive or who use injection drugs are admitted first. Clients who give birth while in treatment may return to the Center with their babies. During their stay, the Center works to establish supportive living environments for them and when necessary places them in one of its four transitional housing units. Women stay an average of 75 days, and after they leave, a social worker follows their progress for two years. A 1997 evaluation found that two years after leaving the Center, half of the women surveyed were completely abstinent from alcohol and other drugs, and 80 percent had no new arrests. The Center receives funding from Federal, state and county governments, as well as private individuals. By the end of 1999, the Center will have room for 32 women and 12 infants. For more information, call (937) 372-4777.

San Francisco, California
Where Mothers See the Light
At the Epiphany Center for Families in Recovery, women don't have to be away from their children while recovering from substance abuse. This free outpatient drug treatment program promotes family unity by empowering women who are pregnant or who have children and helping them develop skills for a healthy life. Clients stay at the Center for an average of 18 months. Roughly half of Epiphany clients participate in STAR (Services To Accelerate Reunification), a program for addicted mothers at risk of losing their infants because of abuse or neglect. Instead of placing the children in foster homes, Child Protective Services places them in Epiphany's care so that they can be with their mothers during parenting classes and before and after treatment sessions. The Center also provides early intervention services for infants who have been exposed to drugs. As treatment progresses, clients are allowed to spend more time off-site with their children. A nurse, parenting educator and service coordinator conduct home visits for at least 12 months afte rfamily reunification. Since the Epiphany Center opened in 1991, it has served approximately 560 women, and the STAR program has reunited 73 percent of children with their mothers or relatives. According to a 1997 evaluation, parenting skills and children's behavior improve significantly during treatment. The Center receives support from the San Francisco Department of Public Health. For further information, call (415) 567-9121.

Chicago, Illinois
Child-Centered Treatment
Since 1990, the Chicago Women's Treatment Center has offered a wide variety of residential and outpatient programs for women with young children, pregnant women and adolescent girls. Treatment includes individual and group therapy, vocational, parenting, social skills and literacy training, as well as medical services. In collaboration with the Chicago Board of Education, the Center offers a fully accredited pre-kindergarten with licensed teachers. Mothers work as teachers' aides, giving them a unique opportunity to contribute to their children's education. The children may remain in the pre-kindergarten for the duration of the school year even after the mother leaves treatment. The Center has the only crisis nursery in Chicago which provides care 24 hours a day to the infants and children of women undergoing medically supervised detoxification. The Center can treat 108 women and teenagers in the residential program. As a result of the Treatment Center's focus on responsible parenting, 67 drug-free babies have been born to women in treatment. The Center's focus is not only on substance abuse treatment, but also on developing child-centered treatment for families. For additional details, call (312) 850-0050.

Next Section

Spotlight | Methadone Maintenance Treatment | Welfare Reform and Drug Abuse
Women and Drug Abuse: Court Innovations

Programs | Prevention Programs | Pregnant and Parenting Women's Programs
Family Treatment Programs| Criminal Justice Programs

Also available, for easy printing...
Keeping Score 1998, Acrobat version
(1MB PDF file) Acrobat Reader 3.0 required