Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery - Detailed Report

Scientific Rating:

Lacks Adequate Research Evidence
See scale of 1-6

Scientific Rating:

4 - Lacks Adequate Research Evidence

On a scale of 1-6

Relevance to Child Welfare Rating:

Medium
See scale of 1-3

Relevance to Child Welfare Rating:

2 - Medium

On a scale of 1-3

Type of Maltreatment: Not specified

Target Population: Parents who are in substance abuse treatment and recovery; and may have current or past mental health issues and/or trauma.

Brief Description:

The Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery has been rated by the CEBC in the area of Substance Abuse (Parental). The Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery focuses on the effects of substance abuse on families, parenting, and the parent-child relationship. Combining experiential and didactic exercises, the approach is designed to enhance parents' self-awareness and thereby increase their capacity to understand their children. Parents may experience loss of self-image as being capable, effective parents. They may have a diminished capacity for empathy. In addition, the parent-child bond may be weakened by periods of physical and/or emotional unavailability of parents; thus resulting in gaps in parents' knowledge of the experiences, milestones and growth of their children. This program is designed to assist parents in re-establishing the strength of their connections with their children.

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Essential Components

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Parents and group facilitators participating in this program are collaborators in the process; the model is both interactive and instructional.
The focus throughout the program is on nurturing the parent, while expanding the parents' ability to transmit this nurturance to their children.
Parents practice parenting skills in sessions, and then with their child(ren). There is a Family Activities Manual, published by Family Development Resources, Inc., which was designed to provide activities for parents and children to do together, and to be used as a complement to the Nurturing Program. In addition, one adaptation of the curriculum includes a curriculum designed for children's groups, covering similar topics as the parenting curriculum, to be completed at the same time as the parenting groups.
Parents learn to see addiction as a disease affecting all family members, across generations, and that recovery is also a process, which affects all family members, across generations.
The learning involved in this program, like the experience of recovery, involves re-working of tasks and stages of life, and re-evaluation and re-patterning of principles and actions.

Group Format

Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery was designed to be conducted in a group.

Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery has been tested for use in a group setting.

Testing references:

1) Camp, J., & Finkelstein, N. (1995). Fostering effective parenting skills and healthy child development within residential substance abuse settings. CSAP Final Report.

2) Camp, J.M., & Finkelstein, N. (1997). Parenting training for women in residential substance abuse treatment: Results of a demonstration project. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 14(5), 411-422.

3) Moore, J., & Finkelstein, N. (2001). Parenting services for families affected by substance abuse. Child Welfare, 80(2), 221-238.

The recommended group size is: 8-12

Recommended Parameters

Recommended intensity: One contact per week.

Recommended duration: Each contact session is 90 minutes in length. The treatment spans 17 weeks.

Homework

Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery does not include a homework component.

Delivery Setting

Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery is typically conducted in a(n): Community Agency, Outpatient Clinic, Residential Care Facility, and School.

Parent Component

Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery was designed with a Parent Component.

Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms: Substance abuse, mental health issues, and/or trauma.

Child Component

Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery was designed with a Child Component.

Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms: Child of a parent having problems with substance abuse, mental health issues, and/or trauma.

Age range(s):

Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery was not developed for children with developmental delays.

Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery has not been tested for children with developmental delays.

Racial/Ethnic Diversity

Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery was not designed for specific racial/ethnic/cultural groups.

Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery was not tested in specific racial/ethnic/cultural groups.

Education and Training Resources

There is a manual that describes how to implement this program.

There is training available for Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery.

Training contact: Terri Bogage, Director of Family and Children’s Services, 617-661-3991; terribogage@healthrecovery.org

Number of days/hours: 2 days of training/7 hours each day

Training is obtained: Training is provided in Massachusetts 2x/year. Training is also provided nationally.

There currently are not additional qualified resources for training.

Identified Resources Necessary to Implement Program

The typical resources for implementing Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery are: Tables and chairs that can be moved around for small group activities; either laptop and LCD, or overhead projector; and TV/VCR.

Minimum Provider Qualifications

Experience with substance abuse treatment/recovery and parenting/child development strongly recommended; plus group facilitation experience.

Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research

Show Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research

Camp, J. M., & Finkelstein, N. (1997). Parenting training for women in residential substance abuse treatment: Results of a demonstration project. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 14(5), 411-422.

Non-randomized, non-controlled study of 170 mothers at two different residential substance abuse treatment centers. Scores on the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI) improved between intake and completion of the parenting program (or discharge, if that occurred prior to completion). However, concerns exist regarding attrition rates and differences in program delivery between the two sites.

Moore, J., & Finkelstein, N. (2001). Parenting services for families affected by substance abuse. Child Welfare, 80(2), 221-238.

Further analyses of the study sample from Camp & Finkelstein (1997) showed that those who completed the Nurturing Families intervention had a longer time to relapse of drug use than those that didn't complete the program (14.7 months vs. 9.4 months).

References

Show References

Alvorado, R., Kendall, K., Beesley, S., & Lee-Cavaness, C. (Eds.). (2000). Strengthening America's families: model family programs for substance abuse and deliquency prevention. Salt Lake City, UT: University of Utah.

Jablonski, B. (2001). The SAMHSA women co-occurring disorders and violence children's subset study. The Tapestry, Fall, 3-6.

Jablonski, B., & Moses, D.J. (2002). Innovations from the sites: Nurturing Families affected by substance abuse, mental illness and trauma: a parenting curriculum for women and children. Delmar, NY: Policy Research Associates.

Contact Information

Contact name: Norma Finkelstein, Ph.D.

Affiliation/Agency: The Institute for Health and Recovery

Email: normafinkelstein@healthrecovery.org

Phone: 617-661-3991

Fax: 617-661-7277

Website: http://www.healthrecovery.org/

Date reviewed: August 2006