Fall 2016
 
FASD Education and Outreach Projects
Newsletter

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WTOP@fammed.wisc.edu 

 

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Education and Outreach Project Updates
Happy Fall to all our followers! We hope everyone is enjoying the changing seasons, cooler weather, and back-to-school activities. We continue to have many exciting opportunities this year, including two new organizations that have recently opened their doors.

                     

Hot off the Press: Two NEW Organizations are Now Open!

Mahala's Hope Recovery Residence: This program is open to women over the age of 18, who have successfully completed primary treatment, with the average length of stay being 90 days. 

At Mahala's Hope, we support women to transform their lives through nature-based healing programs of recovery. We are proud to offer trauma informed services in which every individual is met with understanding, respect, and responsiveness regardless of their situation or circumstance. Our recovery residence embraces a comprehensive holistic approach to women's recovery. When women are in community together they establish deep and meaningful connections. These connections provide the ability to feel safe, gain trust and continue the healing process. Our setting offers women the opportunity to utilize the tools learned in primary treatment and integrate them into their daily lives. Family involvement is a vital component. Trained staff will continue to support and assist women in creating balances lives and reaching their full potential.

For more information about services, volunteering or donating contact:

Mahala's Hope
N4590 Highway 45
Eden, WI 53019
920-904-6445
mahalashope.kris@gmail.com
www.mahalashope.com

FASD Communities : This program is a registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing supportive housing, vocational opportunities and life skills to young adults across the U.S. affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).

Our mission is to provide a FASD resident-based living center that combines a homey atmosphere with meaningful vocational opportunities, that focuses on what you can do, not just what you can't. A place to develop your talents, engage in sports and recreational programs and find plenty of lifelong friends. Our team of volunteers has unparalleled expertise in education, business, finance, communications and healthcare - but our real credentials are as parents or close friends of this population.

For more information, please contact:

FASD Communities National Headquarters
1516 Avon Way
Honolulu, HI 96822
808-523-8191
fasdcommunities@gmail.com
fasdcommunities.com

 
Sincerely, 
FASD Education and Outreach Projects Team   

Ask a Doc
doctors2.jpg 
 
This column features "Frequently Asked Questions" related to the prevention, identification and treatment of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders from our trainings, email or phone inquiries. With all of the conflicting information available on the web, we'll try hard to find experts to best answer your questions. You can email us directly (WTOP@fammed.wisc.edu), or call us (608-265-6392) with your questions.
 
QUESTION:

At what age would you recommend telling my child they have a diagnosis of one of the FASDs, and what are some suggestions to help me do so?

ANSWER: 

Communicating to your child that they have a diagnosis of one of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders can depend on the chronological age and developmental level of the child. Factors related to the birth and family origin of the child also play a role in this conversation. If the child is adopted and know they are adopted, the conversation might have already been started if the child knows they have a different family of origin. If the diagnosis is made in infancy, deciding when to communicate the diagnosis depends on the developmental understanding of the child. If the diagnosis is made in the teenage years, the child might already be aware that there is something different about them compared to other children, and the child may be seeking a reason to explain this.
 
Typically, families who are coming in for an evaluation for one of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are already experiencing symptoms such as growth, developmental or behavioral concerns such as learning disabilities or difficulty with emotional regulation. If the diagnosis is confirmed after the evaluation, depending on the child's developmental level and developmental understanding, the diagnosis can be communicated at that time.
 
It is important to frame the diagnosis in a way that the child will understand. The primary message to communicate is that when the baby was growing inside their mother's body, they were exposed to substances that affected their behavior and development. Sometimes, when mothers are pregnant, they may not know what is healthy for the baby, and some mothers may have drunk alcohol while pregnant, not knowing that drinking alcohol could affect their baby before they were born.
 
Emphasize to the child that the most important aspect of the diagnosis is that the family will now be able to access resources that will help the child in the future. It is also important to communicate to the child that the mother's drinking was not done to intentionally hurt her child. Now that we know the root of some of the parent or child's concerns, we will be able to coordinate therapies and targeted interventions to address the developmental and behavioral symptoms to optimize their future outcomes.


Prachi Shah, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Center for Human Growth and Development
University of Michigan
Facts : Informativas
Each quarter we will share a new fact with our readers in both English and Spanish. For more information, click on the link below.  
  • In the United States, 19 states have either created or funded drug treatment programs specifically targeted to pregnant women, and 13 provide pregnant women with priority access to state-funded drug treatment programs.
  • En los Estados Unidos, 19 estados han creado o financiado programas de tratamiento de drogas dirigidas específicamente para las mujeres embarazadas, y 13 estados proporcionan a las mujeres embarazadas con acceso prioritario a los programas de tratamiento que son financiados por el estado.
Hot off the Press!
Updated Clinical Guidelines for Diagnosing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

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Prevention of Alcohol-Exposed Pregnancies Position Statement from the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health (NPWH)

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Face the Facts: The Sobering Reality of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders from the Mountain Plains FASD Practice and Implementation Center

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The ARC's FASD Prevention Project


Upcoming Trainings and Conferences
Adapting Treatment for Adolescents and Adults with FASD

When:
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Who:
Dan Dubovsky
FASD Consultant/Trainer
Where:
St. Mary's Hospital
Conference Room 1
700 South Park Street
Madison, WI
Conducted by:
FASD Education and Outreach Projects
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
School of Medicine and Public Health,  University of WI
Contact:
Please click here to view the flyer, and contact Lindsey Peterson at 608-265-6392 or lindsey.peterson@fammed.wisc.edu to register.
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FASD Training of Trainers Certificate Program

When:
Monday, February 27 - Friday, March 3, 2017
Where:
The Pyle Center
702 Langdon Street
Madison, WI 53706
Conducted by:
FASD Education and Outreach Projects
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
School of Medicine and Public Health,  University of WI
Contact:
Please click  here to view the flyer, and contact Lindsey Peterson at 608-265-6392 or lindsey.peterson@fammed.wisc.edu to register.
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Please contact us with your questions or training needs at: lindsey.peterson@fammed.wisc.edu 
About Us

Wisconsin FASD Education and Outreach Projects  


 

Wisconsin FASD Education and Outreach Projects focus on addressing the prevention, identification, and treatment of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).  

For more specific project information, see below:

 

 

The Wisconsin FASD Treatment Outreach Project (WTOP) provides training and consultation on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), clinical assessment of individuals at risk, and support to professionals to work with individuals with FASD. We understand alcohol use during pregnancy and FASD are sensitive issues. The WTOP team is prepared to discuss these topics with concerned women and families in a culturally competent and trauma informed manner to educate and provide resources and support. Some women and families may have heard about FASD in their day to day lives. If they consumed alcohol during pregnancy and have children with learning and/or behavior problems, an assessment is the first step in identifying appropriate referrals, services and interventions for both mother and child. 

 

The University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (DFMCH) was awarded a cooperative agreement, Advancing Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention (aSBI) and CHOICES in American Indian and Alaska Native Populations through by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in August 2013. The overarching goal of the project is twofold: (1) to demonstrate capacity by DFMCH to provide culturally appropriate training and technical assistance to implement and sustain aSBI/CHOICES services in Tribal clinics serving a patient population that is primarily Native American; and (2) to reduce risky drinking and the risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy in the identified patient population. Booshké giin is the collaborative program name chosen by our tribal partners to represent this project; it means to decide or to make a choice. 

 

The Juvenile Justice Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Program's purpose is to create and improve community efforts to increase screening, intervention and treatment of juvenile alcohol and drug problems for Wisconsin's at-risk youth population. Collaboration with the Wisconsin Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Treatment Outreach Project (WTOP) is to provide training and consultation on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders clinical assessment of women and children at risk, and support to professionals to work with individuals with FASD.


The primary purpose of the FASD Practice and Implementation Center for Pediatrics (PIC) is to develop, test and disseminate innovative training for pediatricians in training and in practice to increase capacity to diagnose the full spectrum of disorders associated with prenatal alcohol exposure.

 

Contact
Georgiana Wilton, PhD, Principal Investigator
Angelica Salinas, MS, CRC, Project Director
Lindsey Peterson, MS, CRC, Outreach Specialist
Barbara Vardalas, MA, Evaluator

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
1100 Delaplaine Court
Madison, WI 53715
608-262-6590
  
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