Southcentral foundation—Dena A Coy: A model program for the treatment of pregnant substance-abusing women

Comorbidity and Risk Behaviors Among Drug Users Not in Treatment

“…Tailored treatment that incorporates extensive and intensive mental health treatment along with substance abuse treatment is necessary to make strides with a clientele that presents not with unique substance abuse or psychiatric symptoms, but with both. The existence of such treatment programs continues to be the exception rather than the rule, but some do exist and are described in the literature (e.g., Namyniuk, Brems, & Clarson, 1997). Third, counseling for individuals with coexisting substance abuse and psychiatric symptoms must also address their social circumstances, which often further hinder recovery.…”

The Haven Mother's House Modified Therapeutic Community: Meeting the gap in infant mental health services for pregnant and parenting mothers with drug addiction

“…Thus, women's family histories; substance abuse; physical, emotional, and sexual abuse; and trauma related to domestic violence render some women too fragile for conventional, confrontational TC approaches (Anglin, Hser, & McGlothlin, 1987;Bersak, 1990;Coletti et al, 1995;Eliason, 2006;Gomberg, 1993;Grella, Joshi, & Hser, 2000;Jarvis, 1992;B.A. Miller & Downs, 1993;Namyniuk, Brems, & Carson, 1997). Careful consideration of the important role of relationships is essential when treating women who struggle with addiction, with attention to their roles in family relationships and relationships with partners as required for comprehensive and effective treatment (McKay, Rutherford, Cacciola, Kabasakalian-Mckay, & Alterman, 1996;Rubin, Stout, & Longabaugh, 1996).…”

“…Parenting education and strengths-based family preservation are crucial to improved caregiving and decreased incidence of child abuse and neglect (Namyniuk et al, 1997), and to improvements in emotional availability, affective attunement, and positive dyadic interaction between mother and baby (Burns, Chethik, Burns, & Clark, 1997;Lief, 1985). Better outcomes occur when services are specialized to target women's needs and/or mother and baby remain together over the course of treatment, often leading to improved treatment retention, which is linked to higher levels of posttreatment abstinence and decreased recidivism rates (Glider et al, 1996;Grella et al, 2000;Szuster, Rich, Chung, & Bisconer, 1996;Weisdorf, Parran, Graham, & Synder, 1999).…”

“…Moreover, residential programs with greater numbers of pregnant and parenting women have been recognized as having more service-enriched, family-focused environments, and better, more positive therapeutic relationships (Grella et al, 2000), factors known to contribute to improved treatment outcomes. With this knowledge and evidence that treatment of perinatal addicts appears most successful when begun prior to delivery (Egelko et al, 1996;Namyniuk et al, 1997;Pajulo et al, 2006), the admission of pregnant and mothering women was a theoretically logical and empirically supported extension of the residential treatment model at The Haven, with efforts made to admit women as early in pregnancy as feasible. …”

Ethnic Differences in Substance Use Patterns in a Sample of Pregnant Substance‐Using Women in Treatment

“…This facility, administered by a tribal organization (Cook Inlet Regional Corpora-tion), has received national recognition with mention in the U.S. Congress as a model program and received the 1996 Mental Health/Social Service Program of the Year Award granted by the Indian Health Service. The program, called Dena A Coy (Athabascan Indian for Future Generations) and located in Anchorage, Alaska, is described in detail in Namyniuk, Brems, and Clarson (1997).…”