Parent-Child Assistance Program
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Prevention & Intervention with High-Risk Mothers and Their Children.
Washington State Health Care Authority Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery
Elijah Family Homes is thrilled to host a Parent-Child Assistance Program site in Benton and Franklin counties since July 2017. This program fills a need for those lacking other resources within our community.
Program Background
The Parent-Child Assistance Program (PCAP) was founded in 1991 by Dr. Therese Grant at the University of Washington as a federally funded research project. This once research-based and now evidence-based home visitation case management model was created to help mothers who abuse alcohol or drugs during their pregnancy. The primary goal of PCAP is to prevent future births of alcohol and/or drug-exposed children.
For more information on the history of the program, visit the University of Washington PCAP site.
PCAP Goals
- To assist pregnant and parenting mothers struggling with drug and alcohol abuse in obtaining and maintaining substance use treatment, staying in recovery, and other difficult life circumstances that they may experience as a result of their substance abuse
- To assure safe, stable home environments for children and ensuring they are receiving appropriate, timely health care
- To connect mothers to community resources in order for them to build and maintain healthy, independent family lives
- To prevent future births of alcohol and drug-affected children
How it Works
PCAP is a three-year case management program. Our trained and supervised bachelor-level case managers work closely with their clients on a one-on-one basis over this time period. Clients can expect to see their case manager face-to-face an average of two times per month. In-between in-person visits, clients can expect to hear from their case managers via call, text, or other electronic communication.
The case managers offer regular home visitation and link women and their families with a comprehensive array of existing community resources to address health care, housing, child welfare, and other issues. In addition, case managers help mothers identify personal goals and the steps necessary to achieve them; they monitor progress, facilitate case conferencing and integrated service delivery among providers, transport clients and children to important appointments and work actively with the extended family.
- Drug and alcohol treatment and counseling
- Mental health counseling and treatment referrals
- Parent support groups
- Parenting classes
- Women’s support groups
- Domestic violence support groups
- Employment
- Daycare
- Counseling for children
- Emergency shelter
- College applications
- Housing (apartment or house)
- Information on food banks and hot meal programs
- Legal referrals
- Training for job skills
- Information on vouchers (rent, food and utilities)
- Children’s immunizations, children’s health and dental care
- Public health nurse
- Child visitation/CPS
- Information on bus tickets/passes
- WIC
- HIV/AIDS testing (anonymous)
- Family planning
NEXT STEPS
Whether you are a provider and would like to refer a client, a family member/friend and would like to refer a loved one, or would like to sign up yourself, please call our office at (509) 578-1501 and we will happily take your call.
