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Service providers and FASD prevention advocates are well aware of the intersections of trauma, substance use, and mental health issues as first described by researchers like Lisa Najavits (Najavits, Weiss, & Shaw, 1997). Research from the Women and Co-occurring Disorders and Violence study substantiated what many understood intuitively – that women with substance use problems facing complex life issues are best served through multi-leveled, integrated service models that are trauma-informed, gender-specific, and holistic (Amaro, Chernoff, Brown, Arévalo, & Gatz, 2007; Brown & Melchior, 2008).
There is an upcoming opportunity to learn more about applying these approaches to FASD prevention and care in a webinar on April 18th at 9:00 am MST. The CSS Learning Series webinar as part of their FASD Learning Series will feature speakers Candice Sutterfield, Lakeland Centre for FASD, and Dr. Peter Choate, Assistant Professor of Social Work at Mount Royal University and clinical supervisor for the Alberta College of Registered Social Workers. They will address both a prevention and supports & services perspective. Sign up here: http://csslearningseries.ca/trauma-informed-fasd-prevention-and-care-registration-2/
Programs in Canada, like Breaking the Cycle and HerWay Home, currently offer integrated programs for/with pregnant and parenting women with substance use issues. Their program frameworks are trauma- and FASD-informed and they offer substance use treatment/support programming as well as needed social services and referrals at a single access point. Program evaluation findings show that relationship building is the key component benefiting women’s growth and supporting the mother-child relationship long-term. (See their evaluations here: Breaking the Cycle and HerWay Home).
In a very recent study undertaken in Ontario, findings from interviews with women participating in integrated programs, described qualities of a therapeutic relationship that helped women improve emotional regulation and executive functioning (Milligan, Usher, & Urbanoski, 2017). Therapeutic relationships that incorporate trust, care, positive regard and a non-punitive attitude can create a safe attachment from which women can apply effective problem solving in all areas of their lives.
Sign up for the webinar and see these earlier posts for more information:
The Mother-Child Study: Evaluating Treatments for Substance-Using Women, March 18, 2015
HerWay Home Program for Pregnant Women and New Mothers in Victoria, BC, February 12, 2013
REFERENCES
Amaro, H., Chernoff, M., Brown, V., Arévalo, S., & Gatz, M. (2007). Does integrated trauma-informed substance abuse treatment increase treatment retention? Journal of Community Psychology, 35(7), 845-862.
Brown, V. B., & Melchior, L. A. (2008). Women with co-occuring disorders (COD): Treatment settings and service needs. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, SARC SUPPL 5, 365-385.
Milligan, K., Usher, A. M., & Urbanoski, K. A. (2017). Supporting pregnant and parenting women with substance-related problems by addressing emotion regulation and executive function needs. Addiction Research & Theory, 25(3), 251-261. doi:10.1080/16066359.2016.1259617
Najavits, L. M., Weiss, R. D., & Shaw, S. R. (1997). The link between substance abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder in women. A research review. The American Journal On Addictions / American Academy Of Psychiatrists In Alcoholism And Addictions, 6(4), 273-283.
For the last four years, HerWay Home in Victoria, BC, has been providing outreach, medical and social services to pregnant and parenting women with difficult lives in a one-stop supportive environment. On June 23 from 9:00-10:00 a.m. PST, there will be a free webinar to share the results of a first-phase evaluation of HerWay.
Deborah Rutman and Carol Hubberstey of Nota Bene Consulting, and Nancy Poole of BC Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health will discuss lessons learned and promising practices, and lead a discussion on working with pregnant and parenting women affected by substance use, violence and mental health issues. With its child-focused, women-centred and family focused approach, HerWay Home encourages positive parenting and healthy outcomes for children and women.
Click here for more information and register by June 20th at http://fluidsurveys.com/surveys/bccewh/herway-home-evaluation-webinar/
To learn more about HerWay home and similar programs, see these previous postings:
- Harm Reduction and Pregnancy: Community-Based Approaches to Prenatal Substance Use In Western Canada, February 26, 2015
- Herway Home Conference and Networking Day – September 29, 2014 – Registration Information, August 18, 2014
- New Maternal and Infant Health Interventions on the Canadian Best Practices Portal, August 1, 2013
- Herway Home Program for Pregnant Women and New Mothers In Victoria, BC, February 12, 2013
- Herway Home ‘One-Stop Access’ Program in Victoria Set to Open, May 20, 2012
- Alberta’s Pcap Women’s Quilt: “Creating A Bond . . . Building A Relationship”, April 22, 2016
- Evaluation of FASD Prevention Programs in Saskatchewan, November 3, 2014
- Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women Who Use Substances: What Communities Are Doing To Help, October 1, 2012
- Women-Centred Approaches to FASD Prevention, October 13, 2010
This 12-day telesummit started last Monday on September 9, International FASD Awareness Day.
There is a jam-packed program of amazing speakers, including Canada FASD Research Network members, Lenora Marcellus and Janet Christie.
22 speakers, 7 countries, two speakers a day….. Check out the intro video below or on the FASD 2013 Summit website. Interviews can be replayed for free within 48 hours and MP3s can be purchased at the end of the summit.