Key components of a service model providing early childhood support for women attending opioid treatment clinics: an Australian state health service review

Abstract

Reduction of access difficulties to specialised early childhood support is of benefit to clients, community health services attempting to provide a service to this difficult to reach population and to drug and alcohol services seeking to provide a high level of holistic care for clients.

Experiences of mothers with substance dependence: Informing the development of parenting support

“…A constant and real fear of the removal of their children from their care exists, resulting in some of the participants restricting their access with health‐ and other community‐based services (Harvey et al . ). For many of the participating women, the language and comments used by health professionals and others exacerbated their feelings of guilt and fear.…”

“…Yet mothers with a history of substance dependence and their families, in particular, can experience difficulties accessing these child and family health services because of a variety of complex and hidden barriers (Huxley & Foulger , Harvey et al . ), which may include the sense of being constantly under surveillance (Silva et al . ).…”

Improving Pathways to Assessment and Care for Infants of Substance Abusing Mothers: Are We Getting It Right?

“…Identification of the facilitators and barriers to care between both sites highlighted the differences in pathways to care and may shed light on the possible reasoning behind the differing attendance rates. Typically this group is difficult to engage in post-natal care [7]. Nehra's study found that, in the general neonatal population, factors that significantly improved compliance included having patient contact after discharge, and also giving early intervention referral.…”

“…The importance of the role of the child and family health nurse in engaging this particular group has been well documented. CFHN staffs are in a unique position to be able to build trusting relationships, offer continuity of care and assist in accessing health care systems [7,24,25]. In relation to hospital visits, these were higher in Site A, where attendance at clinic was lower and communication between hospital and community services specific to this vulnerable group was less structured.…”

“…Infants of substance abusing mothers (ISAM) have poorer developmental, behavioural, and social outcomes [3]. A number of variables coexist and influence the environment of the child in this situation, including parental effectiveness in providing nurturing care [5][6][7][8]. Engagement with health services can be a protective factor in maintaining child safety and child wellbeing, suggesting that child health engagement decreases child protection risk [9].…”