Improving Treatment for Drug-Exposed Infants
Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 5

Information Resources on Drug-Exposed Infants

This Appendix provides a listing of resources - including national organizations, special reports, manuals, and books - with general information on drug-exposed infants. Although there are listings which are meant to be of help to professionals, many of the resources listed will assist caretakers of drug-exposed infants - including natural, foster, or adoptive parents - with parenting skills. The Appendix ends with a listing of simple, straightforward strategies and techniques for caring for young children.

SECTION I: NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

The following organizations can be contacted by phone or mail for an updated listing of materials or referrals. Please note that the CSAP National Resource Center listed below provides an extensive information and referral service which should be quite helpful to parents, caretakers, and others throughout the United States.

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). Division of State Programs, Rockwall II Building, 10th floor, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, (301) 443-3820. CSAT publishes a range of material on AOD treatment, such as this TIP. CSAT is also the agency to contact for information on the new regulations regarding the Substance Abuse Prevention Block Grants. These regulations include important requirements relating to the AOD treatment of pregnant women and women with dependent children.

Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) National Resource Center for the Prevention of Perinatal Abuse of Alcohol and Other Drugs: 9300 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22031, (703) 218-5600 or (800) 354-8824. Commonly called the Perinatal Resource Center, this Center was established by CSAP in 1991 as a training, technical assistance, and information source for people working with the problem of AOD use and maternal and child health issues. Each of its specialized services are described below.

Information and referral services: The Center provides extensive telephone-based information and referral services to people working with the problem of drug-exposed infants. The Center publishes a quarterly newsletter and prepares resource packets and monographs on specific issues.

Perinatal Research and Education Management Information System (PREMIS): PREMIS is a state-of-the-art computer system maintained by CSAP's National Resource Center with up-to-date information on topics related to perinatal AOD use.

Community Team Training Institute (CTTI): CTTI trains interdisciplinary and interagency teams from a cross section of community-based organizations and local government agencies working on the problem of perinatal AOD use. Teams are selected through a competitive application process.

Technical assistance: The Center provides practical hands-on technical assistance to States, communities, and professionals to foster innovative prevention strategies and programs.

Children's Defense Fund: 25 E Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20001, (202) 628-8787. This organization does lobbying, research, and policy reports regarding children, especially the poor, minority, and the handicapped.

Child Welfare League of America (CWLA): 440 First Street, N.W., Suite 310, Washington, DC 20001-2085, (202) 638-2952. CWLA is a national membership organization of more than 700 public and private child welfare agencies that work with children and their families on critical issues such as child abuse, teen pregnancy, adoption, and foster care.

The Clearinghouse for Drug-Exposed Children: Division of Behavioral and Developmental Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, 400 Parnassus, Room A203, San Francisco, CA 94143-0314, (415) 476-9691. The Clearinghouse is a resource, referral, and information center serving at-risk children and families in the San Francisco Bay area. It also publishes information resources for people across the country. The Clearinghouse is affiliated with the Division of Behavioral and Developmental Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, Medical Center, devoted to the multidisciplinary assessment and treatment of children.

The Clearinghouse provides a range of services designed to provide basic information about the effects of drug exposure on children's development so that parents, grandparents, teachers, and other caretakers can better understand how to care for these children and help them develop to their full potential.

The Clearinghouse for Drug-Exposed Children Newsletter, published quarterly, contains valuable information for parents, caretakers, and professionals, including policy updates and a list of recent articles on drug-exposed infants.

The ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children: The Council for Exceptional Children, 1920 Association Drive, Reston, VA 22091-1589, (703) 264-9494.

Fetal Alcohol Network: 158 Rosemont Avenue, Coatesville, PA 19320-3727, (215) 384-1133. Contact Linda and Hank Will regarding monthly newsletter and parent support line; no charge to parents of child with FAS or FAE.

Institute on Black Chemical Abuse: 2616 Nicollet Avenue, South Minneapolis, MN 55409, (612) 871-7878. Request a free catalogue on numerous manuals, articles, and reports on substance abuse issues impacting the African American community.

La Leche League International: 9616 Minneapolis Avenue, Post Office Box 1209, Franklin Park, IL 60131-8209, (708) 455-7730. A worldwide organization dedicated to offering information and encouragement (through personal support) to women who want to breastfeed their babies.

March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation: 1275 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605, (914) 428-7100. The March of Dimes is involved with the prevention and treatment of birth defects and infant mortality through education, research, and advocacy.

National Association for Perinatal Addiction Research and Education (NAPARE): 11 East Hubbard Street, Suite 20C, Chicago, IL 60611, (312) 329-2512. NAPARE is a center for research into the problems of perinatal addiction and perinatal AIDS, and the long-term outlook for infants and their families. The mission of NAPARE is to offer leadership in the development of multidisciplinary programs for the prevention and treatment of alcohol and other drug use in pregnancy. A goal of NAPARE is to provide a national network among professionals for the exchange of ideas regarding prevention and intervention.

National Black Child Development Institute: 1023 15th Street, N.W., Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 387-1281. NBCDI is dedicated to improving the quality of life for African American children and youth, providing workshops and resources on a range of issues. Send for free catalogue of materials on a variety of subjects relating to children, drugs, parenting, and health concerns.

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI): P.O. Box 2345, Rockville, MD 20852, (301) 468-2600 or (800) SAY-NO-TO (DRUGS). The National Clearinghouse is the information component of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NCADI provides telephone-based information on many publications, organizations, and prevention activities throughout the country.

National Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Services Organizations (COSSMHO): 1501 16th St. N.W., Washington, DC 20036, (202) 387-5000. COSSMHO is unique in its focus on the health and psychosocial well-being of Hispanic populations throughout the U.S. COSSMHO has literature and information on family-oriented health and substance abuse services throughout the country for the Spanish-speaking community.

National Coalition on Alcohol and Drug Dependent Women and Their Children: 1511 K Street, N.W., Suite 926, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 737-9122. This organization develops literature, sponsors workshops, and works to influence public policy for the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse among pregnant women.

National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse: 332 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 1600, Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 663-3520. Request a free catalogue of materials regarding a variety of issues targeted to parents, children, teachers, and treatment specialists. Materials also available in Spanish.

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ): P.O. Box 8970, Reno, NV 89507, (702) 784-6012. The National Council is a membership organization of the nation's juvenile and family court judges dedicated to improving standards, practices, and effectiveness of courts having jurisdiction over children and families through continuing education programs, research, technical assistance, and publications, as described below.

Continuing judicial education: The Council offers continuing education for judges and related court personnel on issues related to juvenile and family law, conducting over 100 yearly educational programs throughout the country. The educational programs, covering topics such as child abuse and neglect and substance abuse, range in size from large conferences of more than 1,000 persons to as few as 15 judges.

Substance abuse project: In 1990 and 1991, a Forum on Drug-Exposed Women and Their Infants was cosponsored by the Council and CSAP. The final report will be available soon, with further followup reports anticipated, providing judicial response to the problems of drug-exposed infants and their mothers. The Council states that substance abuse is the underlying factor in 60 to 90 percent of all court cases referred to juvenile or family courts. Thus training programs and continuing education on this problem are a priority.