Abstract
| The Flowering Tree project, located on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, has been in operation since 1992. Originally funded as a CSAT demonstration project, it continues to receive CSAT funding. The purpose of the project is to expand culturally based substance abuse treatment services to underserved Native pregnant and postpartum women with children in order to reduce alcohol related effects on infants. Since its inception it has provided services to over 260 women and 150 children. |
Objectives
The goals of the project are: 1) improve parenting skills of mothers, promote maternal-infant bonding, and promote fetal attachment of mother 2) provide aftercare/continuing care services to clients 3) develop and implement a culturally appropriate recruitment and marketing component 4) improve the general well being, health status, employment, and family functioning of the clients and improve abstinence rates among the participants after they leave the program.
Indian Nation Served
Indians residing in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa (Aberdeen Area of Indian Health Service). Native women from other areas are admitted as space permits.
Key Components
Residential treatment and limited aftercare are provided. The expansion grant provided for regular pre and post natal exams by midwives, educational activities regarding healthy babies, FAS/FAE assessments and classes, nutritional assessments and classes, relapse prevention, peer/support groups, continuing care and follow up, social and athletic activities, elderly mentoring, breast feeding education, anger management/conflict resolution, Traditional Native Family System Education, interactive play, traditional Lakota children’s games, well baby care evaluations, infant stimulation, specialized newborn care, increased aftercare/outreach and foster grandparents.
Evaluation Design
Process evaluation included use of client records, staff records, client participation documentation, and client perceptions questionnaire. Outcome evaluation focused on a T1 and T2 (pre and post treatment measures–ASI, Family-Adaptation Partnership, Growth, Affection & Resolve (FAPGAR), General Well Being Schedule (GWBS), Beck Depression Invention (BDI-II, Child Behavior Checklist (CBC), Cranley Fetal Attachment Scale (CFAS) and a mother infant bonding scale) as well as data collected 6 and 12 months after discharge. Matched comparison groups from other treatment programs were also used.
Evaluation Results
Process evaluation included use of client records, staff records, client participation documentation, and client perceptions questionnaire. Outcome evaluation focused on a T1 and T2 (pre and post treatment measures–ASI, Family-Adaptation Partnership, Growth, Affection & Resolve (FAPGAR), General Well Being Schedule (GWBS), Beck Depression Invention (BDI-II, Child Behavior Checklist (CBC), Cranley Fetal Attachment Scale (CFAS) and a mother infant bonding scale) as well as data collected 6 and 12 months after discharge. Matched comparison groups from other treatment programs were also used.
Products Developed
None specified.