Transcript Document

Darci Kotkas
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a
term used to support individuals who
have been diagnosed with a “spectrum”
of effects related to prenatal alcohol
exposure. It includes (but is not limited
to) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Alcohol
Related Neurobehavioral Disorder,
Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and
Static Encephalopathy.
Debolt
 Children,
adolescents and adults with FASD
have complex medical, psychological and
social needs.
 They are difficult to provide stability for and
existing resources are not often user friendly
for these families.
Debolt

The critical message emerging from this work is the
need to establish sound FASD Informed Practice to
support the often complex needs of children and
families. FASD Informed Practice implies that
casework is carried out in a way that appreciates the
specific challenges associated with FASD as a
disabling condition and recognizes the need for
adjustments and accommodations in the child
welfare response.

A key element of the success of the Community of
Practice initiative was the recognition that child
welfare practice in response to FASD requires a
specialized approach and leadership on practice
needs to originate and develop within the workforce.
 Child
Protective Services identify more highrisk children than any other public system.
 The
challenge is to recognize the need to do
more than protect. Protecting without
educating, healing and enriching children is
an opportunity lost. The cost in human and
financial resources is overwhelming.
 Children
born with FASD are among the
fastest growing group of children entering
the child welfare system…..
What we Know
 FASD is often overrepresented in children,
adolescents and adults requiring services from
child protection agencies – 50% of caseloads
 The Enhancement Act’s philosophy of “least
intrusive and time limited” is not congruent with
what we know helps with these children and
families.
 Many contracted agencies that serve individual
Child and Family Service Authorities are often
unprepared to serve this high needs group.
 Children and families experiencing the
complexities of this poorly understood disability
are often at the center of highly public child
protection failures.

It is important to understand that early
diagnosis and intervention are positively
correlated with better long term outcomes
for the children and their families.
Appropriate diagnosis results in the children
receiving relevant and targeted interventions,
significantly improves their functioning,
adaptability, self-awareness and self-esteem
not to mention significantly improves parentchild interactions (Streissguth et al 2004).
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Biological families are unaware of what
has happened developmentally for their
child
Rearing families are unaware of the
etiology of the problems
Multiple placements distort the
information and the functioning
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3.
School Failure
Mental Health Disorders
Addictions
Streissgueth’s Secondary Disability Study
90% had mental health problems
30% had drug and alcohol use/misuse
If we get it:
 We will have effective
and cost efficient
interventions
 We will have enhanced
collaboration
 We will have improved
developmental
outcomes
 We will reduce the
intergenerational
effects of FASD
If we don’t:
 We will have
ineffective and costly
interventions
 There will be systemic
frustration and blame
 There will be multiple
diagnosis (and
explanations) over
time.
 There will be an
escalation of
symptoms despite
“huge” effort.
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Identification of high risk individuals is
intervention.
Gathering relevant information to support
a diagnosis of FASD is intervention.
Referring for formal diagnosis/assessment
is intervention.
Diagnosis is intervention.
Diagnosis kick starts a multi-system
organization of care. That is intervention.
Debolt
 Training,
training, & more training
 Coaching and support
 Respite and Relief Care
 Grief and Loss support – The ability to give
up what we wish this was to take on what it
is
 There
is a significant gap in our system of
service for persons with disabilities.
(Support for people with disabilities to be
parents).
 Many of these circumstances then lead to
child protection involvement
 Recognition of Non-compliance as noncompetence shifts the traditional approaches
and expectations of the child welfare
system.
Parent
FSCD
FASD
Child
CW
Creating improved outcomes for children with
FASD
• Early identification
• Appropriate service planning
• Specialized training to agency staff, families
and caregivers
• Increased placement stability
• Reduction in incidence an severity of
secondary disabilities
• Effective transition to adult services
Debolt
 Training
for staff
 Support application and integration into case
practice.
 Ensuring disability first lens
 Assist workers in being strong advocates in
leading collaborative partnerships to serve
clients and families with this disability
effectively.
FASDtraining.com
May
1, 2015