Palm Beach County Counts :: Promising Practices :: Parent-Child Assistance Program

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An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.

2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.

3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.

Parent-Child Assistance Program

Ranking	Evidence-Based Practice
Description	The Parent-Child Assistance Program (PCAP), formerly known as the Seattle (Wash.) Birth to 3 Program, is a home visitation program for high-risk substance-abusing women. Case-managers address the health and social well-being of mothers and their children and help participants reduce alcohol and drug use. Advocates are paraprofessionals who have personal experience with many of the same adverse circumstances as their clients and can therefore serve as positive role models. PCAP does not provide direct alcohol treatment, drug treatment, or clinical services. Advocates visit client homes, transport clients and their children to important appointments, and link clients with appropriate service providers. The intervention lasts 36 months. Advocates visit client homes weekly for the first 6 weeks, then at least once every 2 weeks, depending on client needs, for the duration of the program.
Goal / Mission	The goals of the program are to 1) assist mothers in obtaining treatment, maintaining recovery, and resolving the complex problems associated with their substance abuse, 2) guarantee that the children are in a safe environment and receiving appropriate health care, 3) effectively link families with community resources, and 4) demonstrate successful strategies for working with this population and thus reduce the numbers of future drug- and alcohol-affected children.
Results / Accomplishments	A comparison of the original demonstration treatment group and the control group at 36 months showed that the treatment resulted in significantly higher endpoint scores. At a 36-month follow-up women in PCAP were more likely to have received alcohol/drug treatment than the control group (85% vs. 76%). Alcohol and drug abstinence rates at 36 months were higher among the treatment group than the control group (37% vs. 32%). The treatment group was also more likely to use birth control than the control groups (73% vs. 52%) and have the appropriate custody of their child (69% vs. 29%). The program has been replicated at two other sites in Seattle and Tacoma. Compared to the original demonstration, positive outcomes at the replication site were maintained for contraception use (72%), use of reliable contraceptives (51%) and number of subsequent deliveries (27%). Outcomes improved for completed alcohol/drug treatment (74%), alcohol/drug abstinence (53%), and subsequent delivery unexposed to alcohol/drugs (36%).
Categories	Health / Substance Abuse Health / Maternal, Fetal & Infant Health Health / Women's Health
Organization(s)	University of Washington School of Medicine, Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit
Source	American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Date of Publication	2005
Date of Implementation	1991
Location	City: Seattle, WA
Primary Contact	Therese Grant, Ph.D. Parent–Child Assistance Program University of Washington Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit 180 Nickerson St., Suite 309 Seattle, WA 98109-1631 (206) 543-7155 granttm@u.washington.edu http://depts.washington.edu/fadu/
For more details	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16161730
Target Audience	Children, Women
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