 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Norma Finkelstein, PhD, Institute for Health and Recovery, 349 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139, 617-661-3991, normafinkelstein@healthrecovery.org
During the last 20 years there has been a growing concern throughout the United States regarding the impact alcohol and other drug use is having on families, particularly women and children, as well as with specific birth disorders caused by excessive alcohol use, such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Research suggests that programs that provide coordinated, comprehensive and family-centered care are better at attracting and retaining women of childbearing ages, as well as pregnant and parenting women, and provide more effective treatment. Successful treatment for women who abuse or are dependent on alcohol is an essential prerequisite for preventing FAS and FASD. This presentation will discuss effective treatment strategies, including early identification and referrals to treatment of pregnant women at risk for alcohol use/abuse, addressing issues of reproductive health, sexuality, parenting, partner relationships and trauma in treatment settings and building family centered, trauma informed systems of care for women and their families/children. This presentation will also include the development and implementation of several successful identification, outreach and treatment programs for women, including pregnant and parenting women, in Massachusetts.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.