Women and Children in Residential Treatment: Outcomes for Mothers and Their Infants

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between the living arrangement of mother and baby in a residential treatment center and measures of self-esteem, depression and parenting sense of competence and a woman's length of stay and completion or non-completion of treatment. Scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (Bayley 1969) are also examined by the amount of time the baby spent with mother, an arrangement that affords the opportunity for the child to participate in the facility's therapeutic child care center. Findings suggest that the earlier a mother's infant resides with her in the treatment setting, the longer her length of stay will be, with an increased opportunity for program completion. In addition, measures of depression were lower and measures of self-esteem were higher for women with their babies than for clients who did not have their infant in the treatment facility. Scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development were within normal limits for all infants living with their mothers in treatment.

Women Coming Home: Long‐Term Patterns of Recidivism

“…There is initial evidence to suggest that incorporating family components in transitional programing can positively enhance outcomes. For example, researchers have documented that women who are allowed to live with their children while completing residential treatment are more likely to complete the program (Utziel-Miller, Lyons, Kissiel, & Love, 1998;Wobie, Eyler, Conlon, Clarke, & Behnke, 1997). Correctional officials should continue to be cognizant of the legal challenges facing many women in maintaining parental rights, and be flexible to women's specific needs of managing family responsibility with other obligations (Berman, 2005;Pollock, 2002a).…”

Program factors related to women's substance abuse treatment retention and other outcomes: A review and critique

“…Four quantitative studies-the randomized two-group design studies of Hughes et al (1995) and Stevens and Patton (1998), the nonrandomized three-group design study of Metsch et al (2001), and the nonrandomized two-group design study of Wobbie et al (1997)-found that the mothers whose child stayed with them during residential treatment had a significantly longer LOS or were more likely to complete the treatment than the mothers whose child was not with them during treatment.…”

Proximity to service providers and service utilization among welfare recipients: The interaction of place and race

“…Lack of personal efficacy, concerns over the burden of administrative procedures, and mistrust of service providers, have all been found to lead to lower utilization rates (Richman and Stagner, 1986). Preg-nancy or child care responsibility can affect utilization of substance and mental health services because women may not seek treatment for fear of losing custody of their children or because arranging child care is difficult (Bass and Jackson, 1997;Comfort, Loverro, and Kaltenbach, 2000;Howell and Chasnoff, 1999;Nelson-Zlupko, Kauffman, and Dore, 1995;Wobie et al, 1997). Finally, costs associated with treatment and lack of insurance coverage may also reduce mental health service utilization rates (Derr, Hill, and Pavetti, 2000;Melfi, Croghan, and Hanna, 1999;SAMHSA, 1999).…”