Project Link
About This Program
Target Population: Pregnant and parenting women of childbearing age
For parents/caregivers of children ages: 0 – 2
Program Overview
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.
Program Goals
The program representative did not provide information about the program’s goals.
Essential Components
The essential components of Project Link include:
- Individual therapy (minimum 1 hour per week)
- Group therapy with no more than 10 participants (1.0-1.5 hours per week)
- Intensive case management (minimum 1 hour per week)
- Home visits when necessary
- Assistance with food, clothing, housing, etc.
- TB/HIV/STD/Hepatitis Education
- Psychiatric consultation (as needed)
- Medication management (as needed)
- Introduction to 12-Steps (2 hours per week)
- Childcare
- Transportation
- Random, supervised urine drug screens and breathalyzer testing (as medically needed)
Program Delivery
Parent/Caregiver Services
Project Link directly provides services to parents/caregivers and addresses the following:
- Substance abuse and pregnant or parent of infant
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
Delivery Setting
This program is typically conducted in a(n):
- Outpatient Clinic
Homework
Project Link includes a homework component:
Journaling
Languages
Project Link has materials available in a language other than English:
Spanish
For information on which materials are available in this language, please check on the program's website or contact the program representative (contact information is listed at the bottom of this page).
Resources Needed to Run Program
The typical resources for implementing the program are:
A central office, individual clinical offices, a group room, and a childcare room
Education and Training
Prerequisite/Minimum Provider Qualifications
- 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.
Education and Training Resources
There is a manual that describes how to implement this program , and there is training available for this program.
Training Contacts:
- Eileen Dykeman, LCMHC,LCDPII, CCJP, Clinical Program Manager
phone: (401) 453-7618 or (401) 453-7692 - Alda Medeiros, BS, Associate Division Manager
phone: (401) 453-7618 or (401) 453-7692 - Dorinda Montague, BA, Case Management Coordinator
phone: (401) 453-7618 or (401) 453-7692
Training is obtained:
Consultation by telephone
Number of days/hours:
Varies
Implementation Information
Pre-Implementation Materials
The program representative did not provide information about pre-implementation materials.
Formal Support for Implementation
The program representative did not provide information about formal support for implementation of Project Link.
Fidelity Measures
The program representative did not provide information about fidelity measures of Project Link.
Implementation Guides or Manuals
The program representative did not provide information about implementation guides or manuals for Project Link.
Research on How to Implement the Program
The program representative did not provide information about research conducted on how to implement Project Link.
Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research
Child Welfare Outcome: Child/Family Well-Being
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:
- Age — Mean age approximately 27 years.
- Race/Ethnicity — Pregnant: 54% White and 33% African American. Postpartum, 51% White and 39% African American.
- Gender — Not Specified
- Status — Women receiving prenatal care at Women and Infants Hospital.
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 postintervention follow-up: None.
Additional References
No reference materials are currently available for Project Link.
Contact Information
- Lynn Hess
- Agency/Affiliation: Women and Infants Hospital
- Website: providencecenter.org/services/adult-services/womens-day
- Email: lhess@wihri.org
- Phone: (401) 453-7618
- Fax: (401) 453-7692
Date Research Evidence Last Reviewed by CEBC: January 2017
Date Program Content Last Reviewed by Program Staff: June 2009
Date Program Originally Loaded onto CEBC: June 2009
