Recorded presentation

Julie Burns Aronson, MS, PHN, St. Louis County Public Health, 307 1st Street South, Virginia, MN 55792, 218-749-0635, burnsj@co.st-louis.mn.us and Dennis R. Falk, PhD, Department of Social Work: Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN 55802.

Preventing Substance Abuse in Pregnancy and Beyond: An Evaluation of a Collaborative Home Visiting Model

Problems associated with alcohol and other drug use during pregnancy have been well documented and include adverse birth outcomes such as low birth weight, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), and fetal death. Infants and children of substance abusing women are at increased risk of receiving substitute care due to child maltreatment or their mother's inability to care for them (Nair, et al, 1997).

Minnesota has the fourth highest rate in the nation for frequent drinking among women of childbearing age (Minnesota Department of Health, 1998). Substance abuse among women in northern Minnesota, and particularly in St. Louis County, is a long-standing problem. The 2000 Bridge to Health Survey results show that 42.4% of females age 18 to 24, 25.6% of females age 25 to 34, and 15.5% of females age 35 to 44 report chronic drinking behavior (Block, 2000).

The general well-being of women with substance abuse problems is often poor with high rates of psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorders, feelings of worthlessness, poor self-esteem, social isolation and a history of significant losses such as out-of home placement of their children (Nair, et al, 1997).

In order to address the complex needs of this population, a home visiting program model titled "Superior Babies," was developed drawing upon the expertise of 3 disciplines: Public Health Nursing, Social Work and Chemical Dependency Counseling.

This presentation will highlight the results of a program evaluation that was conducted in 2004.

Learning Objectives: