Bridging the Gap for Children as Their Parents Enter Substance Abuse Treatment (From Substance Abuse, Family Violence, and Child Welfare: Bridging Perspectives, P 143-187, 1998, Robert L. Hampton, Vincent Senatore, et al., eds. - See NCJ-172346)

• NCJ Number: 172351
• Author(s): T J McMahon; S S Luthar
• Date Published: 1998
• Length: 45 pages
• Sale Source: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DCC

Annotation

This chapter discusses what can be done within drug abuse treatment systems to develop services that directly affect quality of life for children living with a drug-dependent parent.

Abstract

The article identifies and discusses four factors that support gaps in existing patterns of service delivery: the nature of traditional substance abuse treatment, problems in client-system interaction, problems in collaboration across systems, and problems using scientific knowledge to inform public policy, service delivery, and professional training. In addition, the article discusses seven structural components that should be developed within drug abuse treatment programs: prenatal intervention, child care services, family therapy, parent intervention, consultation-liaison services for children, special intervention for children, and interagency collaboration. Finally, the article identifies critical factors that must be considered prior to any decision on how to intervene: cultural context, treatment setting, age of the children, gender, primary drug of abuse, resolving questions of values, ethics, and law, demonstrating efficacy, and securing financial support. Notes, references