Implementation of a Family-Centered Treatment Program for Substance-Abusing Women and Their Children: Barriers and Resolutions

Abstract

Recent federal health financing and health care delivery programs have increased access to alcohol and other drug abuse treatment programs for low-income women, and have provided intervention and prevention services for their children and families. The Village South Families in Transition (FIT) in Miami, Florida, implemented a residential treatment program for women and their children that aims to decrease alcohol and other drug use, reduce reliance on social and health welfare systems, improve functioning in specific life-skill and vocational areas, improve parenting techniques and maternal/child relations, and provide intervention and prevention services for the clients' children in a safe and supportive environment. Program implementation required resolutions to numerous barriers, including securing a facility for women and children; recruiting, hiring and training of staff; establishing and maintaining community linkages; treatment considerations; balancing treatment versus evaluation/research; and critical decisions faced by treatment staff as they modify client-centered programs to incorporate gender-specific and family-centered programs.

Substance abuse treatment for mothers: Treatment outcomes and the impact of length of stay

“…Although histories of trauma, mental illness, dual addictions, child maltreatment, and many other factors complicate treatment for women, there is a rapidly growing body of literature describing model substance abuse treatment programs that are designed to address these complex needs (e.g., Coletti et al, 1995;Graham, Graham, Sowell, & Ziegler, 1997;Metsch et al, 1995). Many of the programs described in the literature are long-term residential treatment programs where mothers live with their children while receiving comprehensive treatment services.…”

Characteristics of Drug-Abusing Women With Children in Residential Treatment: A Preliminary Evaluation of Program Retention and Treatment Completion

“…55). In fact, women were more likely to encounter barriers for treatment than men, which has strengthened the argument for the need to tailor interventions for pregnant and postpartum women (Grella, 1996;Metsch et al, 1995). Gender-specific treatments are interventions designed to meet the particular needs of women and offer services that include parenting training, prenatal and child care, transportation, and housing assistance (Clark et al, 2004;Grella, Polinsky, Hser, & Perry, 1998).…”

Maternal Substance Abuse: Infant Psychiatric Interest: A Review and a Hypothetical Model of Interaction

“…Both international and Finnish experience reveal numerous obstacles to the identification of these mothers and their problem (9,17,(19)(20)(21). Once the problem becomes known, there seems to be a lack of working interventions to help both the mother and the child.…”

“…Greater success has been demonstrated when interventions have focused from the beginning on both the mother and the child as an interactional dyad (23). Early identification of and intervention into maternal problems with substances (17,19,20,22) is, therefore, of great importance.…”

“…Many of these can be comprehended as risk factors for the developing early relationship between mother and child (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18). Although the detection of maternal substance abuse has proved to be particularly difficult (9,17,(19)(20)(21), once the problem has been identified, substance-abusing mothers are often willing and capable of reducing their substance use out of concern for the well-being of their children (22). Greater success has been demonstrated when interventions have focused from the beginning on both the mother and the child as an interactional dyad (23).…”