Maternal substance abuse, recovery and handling their children’s Illnesses

Parents with a history of substance abuse are at high-risk for child maltreatment, including the neglect of their child’s health (medical neglect). Additionally, these parents are likely to have low health literacy levels, possibly further jeopardizing risk to their child’s health. This research examined the effectiveness of the SafeCare® Health Module for mothers in a residential recovery facility. Two mothers with children under age five were trained to 1) identify child health symptoms and illnesses and 2) to determine the most appropriate course of care. Using a multiple-baseline, single-case research design, mothers were evaluated in their ability to select the most appropriate care setting using decision-making behaviors in response to a prompted child health scenario. The mothers showed steady improvement in skill acquisition. Future research directions and intervention implementation implications are discussed.