State Expands Addiction Treatment Services to Prevent Alcohol and Drug-Related Birth Defects

ALBANY, NY (09/08/2009)(readMedia)-- State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo today announced the expansion of an important evidence-based program, Project CHOICES, to prevent the incidence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in New York.

Governor David A. Paterson has proclaimed September 9, 2009 as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Day in New York raising awareness about FASD and urging pregnant women not to drink alcohol, and those who are considering to becoming pregnant to abstain from alcohol. FASD is one of the most severe alcohol-related outcomes in a child which includes facial malformations, growth deficits and central nervous system problems.

Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo said, "Nationally one in eight pregnant women drink alcohol and 40,000 babies are born each year with FASD. Providing additional specialized services throughout our provider system will not only increase awareness and advance effective prevention and treatment of FASD, but more importantly will lead to healthier children and families."

Project CHOICES is a federally-funded, multi-year initiative aimed at reducing risky drinking behaviors and improving the use of effective contraception for women of child-bearing years enrolled in addiction treatment. The federal funding is provided through Northrop Grumman, a subcontractor to the SAMHSA FASD Center for Excellence, for $1.2 million.

In 2008, the first two providers to implement Project CHOICES were Palladia and Odyssey House, both intensive residential programs in New York City. The two new providers are Camelot Counseling and Phoenix House of Long Island. Camelot, a program in Jamaica Queens, provides outpatient addiction services to men and women living in a family homeless shelter, and they will provide the Project CHOICES counseling intervention to the eligible female residents. Phoenix House is implementing Project CHOICES in two of their residential facilities, one for women, and one for mothers and their young children.

OASAS has also participated in 2008 the FASD Interagency Workgroup, created by the state Office of Children and Family Services, with the mission to increase awareness and advance the effective prevention and treatment of FASD through interagency collaboration and coordination. The FASD Interagency Workgroup has been successful in developing an Interagency FASD Website, and in publishing and disseminating a seminal guidebook: Take Another Look : A Guide on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders for School Psychologists and Counselors, completing a statewide FASD awareness poster contest for middle- and high-school students, and composing an FASD educational mailing project aimed at advance practice clinicians.

In addition, the state is developing the New York State Early Childhood Plan, whose goals are to promote healthy children, strong families, early learning, and supportive communities. This Plan recognizes the need for a strategy to eliminate FASD through universal screening of pregnant women.

New York State's Addiction Collaborative to Improve Outcomes for New York (ACTION) seeks to address the negative consequences of addiction as they impact the health, safety, welfare and education of New Yorkers through an integrated response to coordinate resources and interventions, including reducing the prevalence of FASD.

"FASD is 100 percent preventable," said Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo. "OASAS is committed to educating all New Yorkers that a healthy pregnancy must exclude alcohol and drugs. I encourage all women of child-bearing age to learn more about how to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby and to know that if you have an alcohol or drug problem, there is hope and help available by calling 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369)."

OASAS oversees one of the nation's largest addiction services systems dedicated to Prevention, Treatment and Recovery, with more than 1,550 programs serving over 110,000 New Yorkers on any given day.

Addiction is a chronic disease and New Yorkers need to know that help and hope is available. Individuals can get help by calling the toll-free, 24-hour 7 days a week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY. For more information, visit www.oasas.state.ny.us.