ARC Community Services Inc Healthy Beginnings

This project was a Federal demonstration project which opened in 1994, to implement an ideal treatment model for the recovery of pregnant and postpartum women affected by chemical abuse. The program provides women with a full treatment program for recovery on a day treatment basis. Women attend programming Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM for four (4) months and then move into part time aftercare program. Transportation and noon meals are provided. Children 0 through 5 are enrolled in the on-site licensed childcare center during the period the mother is enrolled in the treatment program. Program services are designed to encourage recovery in a supportive manner while: addressing the mother/child bond; providing increased access to prenatal care and well child care, thus possibly decreasing birth complications; and enhancing maternal attachment and parenting support to assist in stopping the cycle of child abuse and neglect and to increase family intactness and healthy family functioning. Services include: women-specific day treatment AODA services for women who are pregnant or postpartum, licensed childcare provided on-site or through community childcare coordination, prenatal/postpartum care, well child care coordination, health education, parenting assistance and infant care classes that enhance the mother/child bond, case management services that improve independent living skills including vocational/educational assistance, mental health services that address abuse issues especially child and sexual abuse, and aftercare services on a step-down basis.