The information in this program outline is provided by the program representative and edited by the CEBC staff. The Project Connect program has been rated by the CEBC in the area of: Reunification.

• Types of Maltreatment: Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Physical Neglect, Emotional Abuse, Exposure to Domestic Violence
• Target Population: High-risk, substance-affected families involved in the child welfare system. Family risks may include the following: Poly-substance abuse and dependence, domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, criminal involvement and behavior, poverty, inappropriate housing, lack of education, poor employment skills, and impaired parenting. Most of the families served are ethnically diverse, have a low household income, and are headed by single mothers.

Project Connect works with high-risk families who are affected by parental substance abuse and are involved in the child welfare system. The program offers home-based counseling, substance abuse monitoring, nursing, and referrals for other services. The program also offers home-based parent education, parenting groups, and an ongoing support group for mothers in recovery. While the goal for most Project Connect families is maintaining children safely in their homes, when this is not possible, the program works to facilitate reunification.

Family Centered, Community Based Services

• Staff members focus on encouraging families to use their strengths to work on the concerns in their lives.
• The program works to connect families with, and help them to manage, the larger systems in their lives (i.e., schools; courts; child welfare systems; treatment programs for substance abuse, mental health issues, medical problems, and domestic violence; homeless shelters; Social Security; AFDC etc.).
• Staff members work within these systems to advocate for families and to empower families to overcome the barriers to effective functioning.

Enhancing Parent/Child Relationships; Decreasing Parental Substance Abuse and Dependence

• The program developed the Risk Inventory for Substance Abuse-Affected Families to assist in determining the level of risk and service needs for the families. There are eight scales that measure the following: commitment to recovery, patterns of use, effect on childrearing, effect on lifestyle, supports for recovery, parent's self-efficacy, parent's self-care, and neighborhood safety.
• Visits to the family can take place in the family's primary place of residence, in the community, or at the office, based on the family's needs.
• Group parenting sessions are offered to families to improve specific parenting skills.
• Follow-up visits at the home encourage the application of new skills.
  Parent/child groups work to enhance the attachment and bond between adults and children.
• Frequent recreational events are held in order to support and encourage positive interactions, and for families to have fun safely.
• Observed visitation provides opportunities to offer feedback to the parent and the child when appropriate. This visitation also provides opportunities for collaterals to best determine service needs.
• The program works to enhance communication between foster parents and biological parents, in order to provide consistency and continuity of care for the children.
• In order to facilitate effective communication and interventions, family-driven case conferencing occurs frequently between various providers and family members.
• Individual supportive counseling is offered on a weekly basis to address individual issues and develop problem-solving strategies.
• The program helps families overcome barriers by providing concrete services. These services include using the program's emergency assistance fund, providing transportation when necessary by cabs and/or program van, and making referrals for service linkage.

Project Connect was designed with a child component that addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms:

• Parental substance abuse, neglect, abuse.

Age range: 0 – 17

Developmental Delays:

This program was not developed for children with developmental delays, and has not been tested for children with developmental delays.

Project Connect was designed with a parent/caregiver component that addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms:

• Substance abuse, mental health problems.

Project Connect was not designed to be conducted in a group setting, and has not been tested for use in a group setting.

Recommended Intensity:

At least 2 home visits a week. Intensity is determined by the family's needs and the level of risk to the children.

Recommended Duration:

Program services last an average of 13 months for families that complete the program. Home visits are typically one to two hours per visit, adding up to four to six hours of services per week.

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

• Birth Family Home
• Community Agency
• Foster Home

This program does not include a homework component.

Project Connect does not have materials available in a language other than English.

The typical resources for implementing the program are:

• Office space
• Transportation

A Master's degree in social work, or a related field, and experience with at-risk families. A Bachelor's degree with extensive experience with at-risk, substance abuse-affected families, and/or those with child welfare involvement may also be acceptable.

The clinical supervisor of the program should be a Master's level, licensed clinical social worker with supervisory experience and experience with at-risk families.

The manager should be a Master's level, licensed independent clinical social worker with supervisory and management experience.

There is not a manual that describes how to implement this program; but there is training available for this program.

Training Contact:

• Valentina Laprade
  vlaprade@cfsri.org
  phone: (401) 721-9237

Training is obtained:

Varies.

Number of days/hours:

Varies.

This program 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 study) establishing the practice's benefit over the placebo, or found it to be comparable to or better than an appropriate comparison practice. Please see the Scientific Rating Scale for more information.

Child Welfare Outcomes: Safety, Permanency and Child/Family Well-Being