Substance-Exposed Infants and Their Families: Evaluation and Treatment
Offered by the Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Women & Infants Hospital, and Brown University Office of Continuing Education
Instructor(s): Jean Twomey, Rosemary Soave, and Lynne Andreozzi
Location: Brown University
Dates: June 8-12, 2009
Meeting Times: 1:00-4:00pm
Fee: $800
Application Due Date: May 15, 2009
Description: This course will examine drug use during pregnancy and developmental outcomes of substance-exposed infant in terms of research findings, practice, and policy. We will draw on our findings and experiences from the research, programmatic and clinical services provided at the Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk including the Maternal Lifestyle Study, the Vulnerable Infants Program, and Family Treatment Drug Court.
Who should attend: Social workers, child advocates, researchers interested in child advocacy
Course Objectives: At the completion of the course participants will be able to:
- Discuss risk and ameliorating factors that affect substance-using women’s parenting abilities.
- Present clinical and research considerations related to treatment for perinatal substance users.
- Discuss developmental outcomes of substance-exposed infants.
- Analyze how policy decisions impact practice.
- Identify the multifaceted needs of families affected by perinatal substance use.
- Discuss interventions and policies that can be structured to best address parental and child needs.
Teaching strategies:
Lecture, live observations
Evaluation:
Participation in the seminar discussions; presentation of research
Instructor Bio(s): Jean Twomey, MSW, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Human Behavior and Pediatrics (Research) at Brown University, Alpert Medical School. Her research interests include parenting abilities of substance-using women, developmental outcomes of substance-exposed infants with child welfare involvement, long-term outcomes of families who participated in the RI Family Treatment Drug Court, and the impact of infant behavioral difficulties on parental mental health and family functioning. She is a child and family therapist who provides clinical services at the Brown Center for the Study of Children in the Infant Behavior, Cry and Sleep Clinic, and Behavior and Development Clinic. Her clinical interests include disorders of infancy and early childhood, colic, parent-infant relationships, and the role of fathers in families affected by perinatal substance use.
Rosemary Soave, MSW, LCSW, is the Director of the Vulnerable Infant Program of Rhode Island at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. Ms. Soave has worked for over 20 years with at-risk children and families both as a direct service provider and as an administrator. Ms. Soave has extensive knowledge in child welfare and with families affected by the disease of substance abuse. She worked as a clinician in a family strengthening and preservation program in Providence, Rhode Island and then became Manager of the Family Support Program. Before joining the Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk at Women & Infants Hospital Ms. Soave was the Director of Early Head Start in Central Falls, Rhode Island. She is also a member of the Steering Committee for the RI Family Treatment Drug Court (FTDC), on the Board of Director for the New England Region Drug Court Association and is the clinical supervisor for the Rhode Island FTDC Team of Care Coordinators.
Dr. Lynne Andreozzi Fontaine is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the Community College of Rhode Island and an Adjunct Associate Professorin the Department of Pediatrics.. Dr. Andreozzi Fontaine has been involved through research and clinical intervention in working with families affected by perinatal substance abuse. Dr. Andreozzi Fontaine’s research involves study of the efficacy of the Vulnerable Infants Program of Rhode Island (VIP-RI). VIP-RI is a demonstration project designed to improve the community’s ability to manage cases of drug-exposed children at risk for compromised development and to provide the earliest and best intervention for vulnerable infants. Dr. Andreozzi Fontaine is also the coordinator of the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) Training Program. She utilizes the NNNS for clinical, research, and teaching purposes, specifically in consultation with newborn nurseries and through the Vulnerable Infants Program (VIP-RI). She is certified to train others on the proper administration, scoring, and interpretation of the NNNS. Her additional clinical work at the center encompasses the assessment of infants and young children, and behavioral consultation with area professionals and caregivers. Her current research interests include attachment and substance exposed infants.