Mental Health
Offers insights and practical guidance on common mental health concerns that may affect families. Access articles, screening tools, and intervention strategies designed for home-visiting contexts.
Key Concepts
Recommended Reading
Professional Reading
- Home Visiting and Maternal Depression: Seizing the Opportunities to Help Mothers and Young Children (Urban Institute, 2011)
- Supporting Infants, Toddlers, and Families Impacted by Caregiver Mental Health Problems, Substance Abuse, and Trauma: A Community Guide (PDF)
- Maternal Depression: Why It Matters to an Anti-Poverty Agenda for Parents and Children (CLASP, 2014) (PDF)
- National Institute on Mental Health
- Stress Reduction (National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness Mental Health Newsletter, 2016) (PDF)
- Parental Depression (National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness Mental Health Newsletter, 2016) (PDF)
Resources & Tools
For Parents
- Pregnancy and Postpartum Mental Health Overview (Postpartum Support International)
- Resources for Mothers and Families (The Periscope Project)
- HelpLine for Moms (Postpartum Support International)
1-800-944-4773 (English & Spanish), or text 503-894-9453 — 24-hour confidential volunteer support and local referrals.
Assessment
Fact Sheets
Resources
Videos & Media
Websites & Portals
Online Training and Educational Modules
- Perinatal Mental Health Modules
A two-part series for home visitors on recognizing and responding to perinatal mental health issues, with webinar excerpts and expert guidance. - Perinatal Mental Health: Screening, Referral and Supportive Interventions for Women and Families (WI DHS webinar series)
- The Periscope Project (Medical College of WI)
Free modules on perinatal psychiatric disorders, including mood disorders and follow-up protocols.
Websites
- Periscope Project – Provider Tools
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Mental Health America
- B4Stage4 Initiative
Prevention-and-intervention framework: get informed, get screened, get help.
Substance Abuse
Offers guidance on identifying and responding to substance-related challenges in families. Access screening tools, safety planning aids, and intervention strategies designed for use in the home.
Recommended Reading
Reading Materials
- Understanding Substance Abuse and Facilitating Recovery: A Guide For Child Welfare Workers (PDF)
- Parenting Under the Influence: The Effects of Opioids, Alcohol and Cocaine on Mother-Child Interaction
Slesnick et al., Addictive Behaviors (2014). - World Health Organization Guidelines on Substance Use and Pregnancy (PDF)
- Coalition Against Substance Abuse
- The Likely Cause of Addiction Has Been Discovered, and It Is Not What You Think
Huffington Post - A Parent’s Heroin Addiction, a Newborn’s Death Sentence
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Supporting Infants, Toddlers, and Families Impacted by Caregiver Mental Health Problems, Substance Abuse, and Trauma: A Community Guide (2012 SAMHSA PDF)
- What Are the Effects of Maternal Cocaine Use?
- Principles of Substance Abuse Prevention for Early Childhood: A Research-based Guide
- Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction
- Sex and Gender Differences in Substance Use (DrugFacts, 2015)
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Fact Sheet Series
- DrugFacts: Methamphetamine
Resources & Tools
Resources
- Assessment and Intervention in the Home: Women and Infants Affected by Opioids (PDF)
Wisconsin Association for Perinatal Care guide: - My Baby and Me
Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation program for alcohol-free pregnancy support: - Bath Salt Intervention (3) (PowerPoint)
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Factsheets
SAMHSA FASD Center for Excellence TA fact sheets:
Videos & Media
Videos
- The Recovery of Hope — Personal stories from women about substance abuse during pregnancy.
- Born Addicted
- Working with Pregnant Women with a History of Substance Abuse
- Pregnancy and Drug Use
- The Growing Issue of Women and Substance Abuse
- Sex and Gender Differences of Importance to Addiction Science (5:29)
- The Reward Circuit: How the Brain Responds to Methamphetamine (2:40)
Websites & Portals
Online Modules
- Relationships Matter!
Learn what professionals need to know about the role of relationships in the lives of women with mental health and substance use issues. Includes transcripts, slides, and audio recordings of the 2017 SAMHSA webinars. Free tutorial (Certificate of Completion free; CE units $7.50). - Understanding Substance Use Disorders, Treatment, and Family Recovery: A Guide for Child Welfare Professionals
Hosted by the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW), U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Requires free online registration
Websites
- My Baby and Me — Free screening, research-based education, phone counseling, and text support.
- CDC: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders — Definitions, research, data, materials, training, and resources.
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) — NIH institute funding and conducting research on alcohol’s impact.