This document was printed from the website of the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC), which you can access at http://www.cebc4cw.org/
This document was printed from the website of the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC), which you can access at http://www.cebc4cw.org/
Child Welfare Outcomes: Child/family well-being
Type of Maltreatment: Emotional abuse, Exposure to domestic violence, Physical abuse, and Sexual abuse
Target Population: Pregnant and parenting women of childbearing age.
Brief Description:(The information in this program outline is provided by the program representative and edited by the CEBC staff.)
Project Link has been rated by the CEBC in the area of Substance Abuse Treatment (Adult). Project Link provides substance abuse and mental health treatment for pregnant and parenting women. It is also integrated with maternal-child health at Women & Infants Hospital. It was originally funded in October, 1991, by the Federal Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) as a 5-year demonstration grant for pregnant and postpartum women with substance abuse problems.
Project Link was designed to be conducted in a group.
Project Link has not been tested for use in a group setting.
The recommended group size is: No more than 10 members
Recommended intensity: Usually one-hour weekly individual sessions and one to one-and-a-half hour weekly group sessions.
Recommended duration: Average 3 months to a year.
Project Link includes a homework component.
Description: Journaling
Project Link is typically conducted in a(n): Outpatient Clinic.
Project Link was designed with a Parent Component.
Project Link addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms: Substance abuse and pregnant or parent of infant
Project Link was not designed with a Child Component.
Project Link was not developed for children with developmental delays.
Project Link has not been tested for children with developmental delays.
Project Link has materials available in a language other than English.
Language(s) available:
Spanish. For information on which materials are available in this language, please check on the program's website or contact the program representative (all contact information is listed at the bottom of this page).
There is a manual that describes how to implement this program.
There is training available for Project Link.
Training contact: Eileen Dykeman, LCMHC,LCDPII, CCJP, Clinical Program Manager, Alda Medeiros, BS, Associate Division Manager, or Dorinda Montague, BA, Case Management Coordinator at 401-453-7618; fax 401-453-7692.
Number of days/hours: Varies
Training is obtained: Consultation by telephone
There currently are not additional qualified resources for training.
The typical resources for implementing Project Link are: A central office, individual clinical offices, a group room, and a childcare room.
Clinicians require Master's level and Independent licensure (LICSW, LCMHC, LMFT) and State licensure in Chemical Dependency, with at least 5 years postgraduate experience.
Clinical Supervisor, at least what is above and a 32 -hour approved training for Clinical Supervision in Chemical Dependency.
Project Link is rated a "3 - Promising Research Evidence" on the Scientific Rating Scale based on the published, peer-reviewed research available. The practice must have at least one study utilizing some form of control (e.g., untreated group, placebo group, matched wait list) establishing the practice's benefit over the placebo, or found it to be comparable to or better than an appropriate comparison practice. For more information on the rating of a “3 – Promising Research Evidence,” please see the Scientific Rating Scale.
Sweeney, P. J., Schwartz, R. M., Mattis, N., & Vohr, B. (2000). The effect of integrating substance abuse treatment with prenatal care on birth outcome. Journal of Perinatology, 4, 219-224.
Type of Study: Non-equivalent control group.
Number of participants: 87 treatment, 87 comparison.
Population:
Location/Institution: Providence, RI
Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations) The study design compared women who enrolled in the Project Link program during pregnancy with those who enrolled postpartum. Mothers who enrolled prenatally had infants with significantly higher birth weights than those enrolling post-partum, and their infants had higher Apgar scores. (The Apgar score is determined by evaluating a newborn baby on five simple criteria: Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration) at 1 and 5 minutes. They were also less likely to require admission to the NICU. Postpartum enrollees were more likely to have infants that obtained a positive toxicology screen. The authors note that self-report screening for substance abuse history may introduce a source of bias.
Length of post-intervention follow-up: None.
Reference materials are not currently available for Project Link.
Contact name: Eileen Dykeman, LCMHC,LCDPII, CCJP
Affiliation/Agency: Women and Infants Hospital
Email: EDykeman@WIHRI.org
Phone: 401-453-7618
Fax: 401-453-7692
Website: http://www.womenandinfants.org/