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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Ruby Neville, MSW, LGSW, SAMHSA/DSCA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1 Choke Cherry Road, Room 5-1102, Rockville, MD 20857, 240-276-2902, ruby.neville@hhs.gov and Neil Kaltnecker, MS, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabililties and Addictive Disorders, Georgia Department of Human Resources, 2 Peachtree Street, NW Fourth Floor, Atlanta, GA 30303-3171.

Children and infants may be among the undiagnosed with behavioral or developmental disorders. Children who are undiagnosed with such disorders may later be among the those who later experience academic failure, engage in substance abuse activities, and unfortunately join the ranks of other children in the criminal justice system. Providing early intervention services to infants and young children who need such services in a Therapeutic Day Care setting can lead to the healthy cognitive, social, and emotional development of this population throughout the life span.

Therapeutic day care may assist directly or through referral in the screening, assessing and diagnosing of mental health, substance abuse and developmental disorders of infants and young children before such disorders lead to more complex issues.

Programs as residential treatment programs may include a day care component to provide child care for mothers recovering from substance abuse and mental health disorders. Child care specialist and other early childhood providers associated with a therapeutic approach to day care, have a convenient opportunity to furnish on an ambulatory basis the behavioral and developmental needs of this young population.

This workshop will introduce to participants the concept of a therapeutic day care program as a favorable component to any health care/human service entity serving parents with children in residential or outpatient health care programs.

Participants will also learn about a promising program and the implementation of this program on a statewide basis.

Learning Objectives:

• Community service providers will identify the mental health, substance abuse and developmental needs among infants and children ages 0-6.
• Participants will be able to describe a therapeutic approach to day care in human service organizations serving mothers with children.
• Participants will learn how to develop a family focused agenda in serving the comprehensive needs of toddlers and young children.
• Substance abuse and other human service participants will understand the signficance in treating mothers/caretakers with substance abuse and depression to support the healthy development of infants and young children.
• Participants will recognize the need to identify and collaborate with local perinatal service providers in addressing the comprehensive needs of infants and young children.

Keywords: Adult and Child Mental Health, Child Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered