Ten Messages For Head Start Grantees About Substance Abuse
Susan Weber, Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth and Families
- Watch Your Language. Avoid talking about "crack" or drug babies, and be very careful about using the word "addict." These words may not convey the respect for children and families to which Head Start is committed.
- Remember: Alcohol is one of the Biggest Problems. The most important and one of the largest problems of addiction in this country is alcohol. That is true everywhere. Many Head Start grantees have families and/or staff who abuse alcohol. Because it is legal, and sanctioned by communities, it tends to be overlooked.
- Be Careful About Assuming a Child has been Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol or Drugs. Only prenatal exposure to alcohol (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) can be clearly diagnosed, and even that requires specialized medical skills. Everything else is speculation, especially by the time a child arrives in Head Start. Further, knowing a child was prenatally exposed to substances does not tell one the prognosis of the child. Most children who have been prenatally exposed are more alike than different from their peers. Focus on the child's current development. What are the strengths, stresses, and special needs of this child and family which need to be addressed now?
- It is Very Difficult to Help Parents Identify When They Have a Substance Abuse Problem. This is the most difficult family support problem all Head Start grantees are facing. Substance abuse yields denial and secrecy. It is easy for Head Start staff to minimize the problem, but allowing a person's addictive behavior to go unaddressed enables that person to continue the behavior. Staff need training and special support to help parents with this problem.
- Substance Abuse Prevention is Best Addressed by Promoting Family Wellness. In Head Start, substance abuse prevention should be addressed in the whole context of healthy living, family wellness choices, and the development of supportive community initiatives that promote family wellness.
- An Outstanding Head Start Experience is the Best Substance Abuse Prevention Curriculum for Children.
Head Start is a prevention program, in that it builds self esteem and develops problem solving and decision- making skills. Children from families and conununities involved with addiction need experiences which that provide the extra support of individualized attention and attention to the ways they learn best. They need extra opportunities to share their stressful life experiences with mental health or other trained specialists. In addition, children may need instruction to help them remain safe in environments where drug paraphernalia or other dangers exist. This must be provided with sensitivity, so Head Start does not inadvertently place the child in the position of threatening adults and inviting punishment.
- Develop a Substance Abuse Initiative Appropriate to the Head Start Mission. Help staff understand how their job requires developing a capacity to address substance abuse issues. Rather than proposing a new substance abuse program, help staff with the work they already do to support families. Substance abuse is a family issue which must be addressed through sustained family interaction to identify needs, secure treatment, and support families while they are receiving treatment and in recovery. This requires training for all staff. It also requires developing an overall program capacity for relationships with community prevention and treatment resources and strategies.
- Try to Identify Treatment Resources that Match with Head Start Values and Family Needs.
Often the values of Head Start and substance abuse treatment may clash. Treatment may be based on an individualistic male model (without regard to responsibilities as parent or wife), or focus on "breaking people down" rather than "building them up." Head Start needs to be a positive community advocate for treatment resources that are responsive to the needs of women with children and for more effective support services for women in recovery. Recognize that substance abuse confidentiality requirements are very strict, and often make it very difficult for Head Start programs to collaborate with treatment programs on the needs of families.
- Head Start's Support for Families may be Exactly What is Needed by Parents Who are in Treatment or in Recovery Following Treatment. The nurturing, supportive environment which Head Start provides families is exactly what persons recovering from addiction most need. The greatest strength of Head Start matches the greatest needs of recovering parents.
- Head Start Must Help to Assure That Each Child Leaves the Program With a Stable Caregiver Who Can Continue to Support the Child. When families involved with addiction won't accept treatment, Head Start's goal should be to establish and support a stable, nurturing caregiver in the life of the child, who will support the child when he or she leaves Head Start. A grandmother, aunt, or a good family friend may need encouragement and support to take on this role.
The following publications can help Head Start programs deal with families facing substance abuse issues:
Supporting Substance-Abusing Families: A Technical Assistance Manual for the Head Start Management Team addresses how to identify families involved with substance abuse, the characteristics of substance-abusing parents, the special risks of their children, the process of conducting a comprehensive family needs assessment, working with children in a pre-school setting, and a review of substance abuse treatment programs. Available August 1994 as a Head Start publication.
Confidentiality of Substance Abuse Information: A Manual for Head Start Programs Who Identify Families as Having Problems Related to Alcohol and Drug Use and Who Refer Parents to Treatment, by A. Collins, K. Goldsberg, T. Kaufman, P. Barker, & R. Boldt. Cooperative Agreement No. 5-U88- T100023 between Baltimore Substance Abuse Systems (Target Cities Project), Baltimore City Head Start Substance Abuse Project, and the University of Maryland School of Law/Clinical Law Office. For a copy of this publication, send $5 (which includes shipping and handling) to: DHCD/Human Services Division, Head Start Program, Substance Abuse Project, 2330 St. Paul St., Baltimore, MD 21218.