Strategic Plan
_South Carolina Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Collaborative 501.c3 under AXIS I of Barnwell County
Strategic Plan
DAODAS - The beginning of the SC FASD Collaborative
The mission of DAODAS is to ensure the provision of quality services to prevent or reduce the negative consequences of substance abuse and addictions.
Background
Just over a decade ago, DAODAS organized the South Carolina Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Resource Network (SC FASRN), a multi-agency network with a mission to “to provide information to the citizens and health and human service professionals in South Carolina to help reduce the exposure of infants to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs during pregnancy.” A secondary purpose of this organization was to assist individuals working with substance-exposed children by providing practical tips, networking opportunities, and resource information.
The SC FASRN met quarterly in the state capital (Columbia, S.C.). Subcommittees were utilized for planning activities related to the observance of FAS Awareness Week and an annual FASRN Conference. In addition, the SC FASRN monitored new developments in research related to Alcohol-Related Birth Defects, as well as followed legislative efforts affecting this area.
One of the first activities of the SC FASRN was to organize regional trainings-of-trainers in Columbia, Greenville, Florence, Charleston, and Rock Hill in the spring and summer of 1998. The purpose of these trainings was to provide 120 professionals from around the state with up-to-date information on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The attendees were asked to provide at least two trainings in their communities on FAS.
In January 2002, DAODAS revised and reissued a very effective and popular four-color brochure, “Important Facts to Remember: A Special Delivery Should Be Handled With Care,” which featured images of 15 appealing babies on its cover. The brochure encourages women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, as well those who are breast-feeding, to abstain from all types of alcohol, as well as to avoid the use of tobacco products and illicit drugs and to follow doctor’s orders with regard to prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Since the early part of this decade, DAODAS has been reorganized and downsized (from a high of 125 positions in 2003 to its current staff size of 33 positions), and its state funding has been cut as part of efforts to balance the state budget. (From July 2008 to date, the DAODAS budget has been cut by 55%.). However, DAODAS was able to continue to observe FAS Awareness Week and to hold an annual FASD conference.
One salutary effect of the downsizing, reorganization, and budget cuts was increased cross-discipline teamwork at DAODAS. After succesffully managing major SAMSHA-funded grant projects that involved most of its staff, the department's FASD points of contact mobilized other DAODAS staff, and together they embarded on the revitalization of the FASD initiative, this time with an emphasis on parental involvement. Renamed as the SC FASD Collaborative, the rejuventated group produced this Strategic Plan with the assistance of a technical expert provided by the FASD Center for Excellence and has held trainings delivered by national FASD researchers
INTRODUCTION
One of the most preventable yet tragic consequences of substance abuse is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), which may result from the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. “FASD” refers to a spectrum of conditions that include Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND), and Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD).
Every time a pregnant woman has a drink, her unborn child has one too. Alcohol, like carbon monoxide from cigarettes, passes easily through the placenta from the mother’s bloodstream into her baby’s blood and puts her fetus at risk of having an FASD. Resulting impairments may include, but are not limited to, intellectual disability; learning disabilities; attention deficits; hyperactivity; and problems with impulse control, language, memory, and social skills. Although skilled intervention services can help individuals with an FASD improve their quality of life, there is no effective treatment or cure.
Despite the risks associated with alcohol use during pregnancy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics show that from 1991 to 2005, 12.2% of pregnant women reported some level of alcohol use in the past 30 days, and 2% reported binge drinking. In 2002, among women who might become pregnant (i.e., women who were not using birth control), 54.9% reported alcohol use in the past 30 days, and 12% reported binge drinking (CDC, 2004).
FASD is a serious national problem. It is the leading known cause of intellectual disability. The prevalence of FAS in the United States is estimated to be at least 10 per 1,000, or 1% of all births. Based on estimated rates of FASD per live births, FASD affects nearly 40,000 newborns each year. The cost to the nation of FAS alone may be up to $6 billion each year, and for one individual with FAS, the lifetime cost is at least $2 million.
Individuals (especially youth) with FASD are at high risk of engaging in criminal activity. They face many challenges that make them vulnerable, such as being easily influenced by peer pressure; lacking impulse control; not understanding cause and effect; not learning from mistakes; making poor decisions; having memory problems; and having difficulty understanding future consequences. Researchers at the University of Washington estimate that 35% of individuals with an FASD have been in jail or prison, and more than half of the individuals diagnosed with an FASD have been in trouble with the law.
FASD is not as widely known as other negative consequence of substance use. It is preventable by eliminating alcohol consumption during pregnancy, however, and continuing research has indicated that some intervention methods help alleviate its effects. It is indeed time to mobilize our efforts to increase public awareness of FASD, to prevent alcohol use during pregnancy, and to provide effective interventions to individuals with an FASD.
Strategic Plan
DAODAS - The beginning of the SC FASD Collaborative
The mission of DAODAS is to ensure the provision of quality services to prevent or reduce the negative consequences of substance abuse and addictions.
Background
Just over a decade ago, DAODAS organized the South Carolina Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Resource Network (SC FASRN), a multi-agency network with a mission to “to provide information to the citizens and health and human service professionals in South Carolina to help reduce the exposure of infants to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs during pregnancy.” A secondary purpose of this organization was to assist individuals working with substance-exposed children by providing practical tips, networking opportunities, and resource information.
The SC FASRN met quarterly in the state capital (Columbia, S.C.). Subcommittees were utilized for planning activities related to the observance of FAS Awareness Week and an annual FASRN Conference. In addition, the SC FASRN monitored new developments in research related to Alcohol-Related Birth Defects, as well as followed legislative efforts affecting this area.
One of the first activities of the SC FASRN was to organize regional trainings-of-trainers in Columbia, Greenville, Florence, Charleston, and Rock Hill in the spring and summer of 1998. The purpose of these trainings was to provide 120 professionals from around the state with up-to-date information on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The attendees were asked to provide at least two trainings in their communities on FAS.
In January 2002, DAODAS revised and reissued a very effective and popular four-color brochure, “Important Facts to Remember: A Special Delivery Should Be Handled With Care,” which featured images of 15 appealing babies on its cover. The brochure encourages women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, as well those who are breast-feeding, to abstain from all types of alcohol, as well as to avoid the use of tobacco products and illicit drugs and to follow doctor’s orders with regard to prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Since the early part of this decade, DAODAS has been reorganized and downsized (from a high of 125 positions in 2003 to its current staff size of 33 positions), and its state funding has been cut as part of efforts to balance the state budget. (From July 2008 to date, the DAODAS budget has been cut by 55%.). However, DAODAS was able to continue to observe FAS Awareness Week and to hold an annual FASD conference.
One salutary effect of the downsizing, reorganization, and budget cuts was increased cross-discipline teamwork at DAODAS. After succesffully managing major SAMSHA-funded grant projects that involved most of its staff, the department's FASD points of contact mobilized other DAODAS staff, and together they embarded on the revitalization of the FASD initiative, this time with an emphasis on parental involvement. Renamed as the SC FASD Collaborative, the rejuventated group produced this Strategic Plan with the assistance of a technical expert provided by the FASD Center for Excellence and has held trainings delivered by national FASD researchers
INTRODUCTION
One of the most preventable yet tragic consequences of substance abuse is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), which may result from the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. “FASD” refers to a spectrum of conditions that include Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND), and Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD).
Every time a pregnant woman has a drink, her unborn child has one too. Alcohol, like carbon monoxide from cigarettes, passes easily through the placenta from the mother’s bloodstream into her baby’s blood and puts her fetus at risk of having an FASD. Resulting impairments may include, but are not limited to, intellectual disability; learning disabilities; attention deficits; hyperactivity; and problems with impulse control, language, memory, and social skills. Although skilled intervention services can help individuals with an FASD improve their quality of life, there is no effective treatment or cure.
Despite the risks associated with alcohol use during pregnancy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics show that from 1991 to 2005, 12.2% of pregnant women reported some level of alcohol use in the past 30 days, and 2% reported binge drinking. In 2002, among women who might become pregnant (i.e., women who were not using birth control), 54.9% reported alcohol use in the past 30 days, and 12% reported binge drinking (CDC, 2004).
FASD is a serious national problem. It is the leading known cause of intellectual disability. The prevalence of FAS in the United States is estimated to be at least 10 per 1,000, or 1% of all births. Based on estimated rates of FASD per live births, FASD affects nearly 40,000 newborns each year. The cost to the nation of FAS alone may be up to $6 billion each year, and for one individual with FAS, the lifetime cost is at least $2 million.
Individuals (especially youth) with FASD are at high risk of engaging in criminal activity. They face many challenges that make them vulnerable, such as being easily influenced by peer pressure; lacking impulse control; not understanding cause and effect; not learning from mistakes; making poor decisions; having memory problems; and having difficulty understanding future consequences. Researchers at the University of Washington estimate that 35% of individuals with an FASD have been in jail or prison, and more than half of the individuals diagnosed with an FASD have been in trouble with the law.
FASD is not as widely known as other negative consequence of substance use. It is preventable by eliminating alcohol consumption during pregnancy, however, and continuing research has indicated that some intervention methods help alleviate its effects. It is indeed time to mobilize our efforts to increase public awareness of FASD, to prevent alcohol use during pregnancy, and to provide effective interventions to individuals with an FASD.
GOALS & STRATEGIES
Goal 1 (Prevention & Awareness)
Decrease alcohol-exposed pregnancies. Broaden the awareness of FASD in the public and the professional community.
Goal 2 (Knowledge & Intervention)
Increase the developmental progress of children who have an FASD so they can function to the best of their abilities at home, in school, and in their communities.
Goal 3 (Mobilization)
Develop resources, collaboration, policies, and data/evaluation capacity to effectively address FASD statewide.
Decrease alcohol-exposed pregnancies. Broaden the awareness of FASD in the public and the professional community.
Goal 2 (Knowledge & Intervention)
Increase the developmental progress of children who have an FASD so they can function to the best of their abilities at home, in school, and in their communities.
Goal 3 (Mobilization)
Develop resources, collaboration, policies, and data/evaluation capacity to effectively address FASD statewide.