Joan Marie Blakey

Trauma and Substance Abuse Among Child Welfare Involved African American Mothers: A Case Study

Using a multiple embedded case study design, this study highlights the experiences of 26 African American mothers with substance-abuse histories who were trying to regain custody of their children, and 26 professionals who were helping these women accomplish that goal. Thematic analysis revealed that trauma interfered with these womens ability to successfully navigate child protection in two ways: external and internal expressions of trauma. Women who lost custody of their children had more external expressions of trauma and/or all four effects of trauma. Developing trauma-informed services for parents who are child welfare-involved is an important next step.

Barriers to Integrated Treatment of Substance Abuse and Trauma Among Women

Despite increasing empirical support for an integrated approach to treating trauma and substance abuse, many substance abuse treatment programs have been slow to embrace integrated models of practice. Using an embedded case study design, the purpose of this study was to understand barriers that prevented a substance abuse treatment provider and 20 professionals and staff from adopting an integrated approach to treating substance abuse and trauma. Data analysis revealed 2 kinds of barriers that prevented substance abuse treatment professionals from fully integrating substance abuse and trauma: systemic and professional barriers. These barriers have to be taken into account when trying to move providers and professionals toward integrated approaches to treating substance abuse and trauma.

The Influence of Parental, Peer, and School Factors on Marijuana Use Among Native American Adolescents

ABSTRACT Marijuana use among Native American (NA) adolescents continues to be an ongoing concern and is often cited as the most critical health issue facing this population. Despite this recognition, few studies have examined the roles played by parental monitoring and school relationships among NA youth. This cross-sectional study used secondary data from the 2010 National Survey in Drug Use and Health to examine the combined influence of parental, peer, and school indicators on marijuana use among NA adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old (N = 287). The results of structural equation modeling suggest that peer factors and parental monitoring were significantly associated with marijuana use. In fact, the peer network was the most influential predictor. However, a significant relationship was not found between school relationships and marijuana use. Given the insignificance of school relationships, further research should examine the influence of peer interactions on marijuana use and the development of family-based prevention and intervention programs.

The Best of Both Worlds: How Kinship Care Impacts Reunification

Children entering out-of-home placement because of parental substance abuse often are placed with relatives. Placements with relatives reduce the likelihood of reunification, but little information is available about why this is the case. Using a multiple embedded case study design, interviews with 26 women and 20 professionals explored the ways kinship care influences reunification among African American women with histories of addiction. The results revealed three kinds of kinship arrangements that influenced whether women regained or permanently lost custody of their children: (a) family support with parameters, (b) limited family support, and (c) enabling family support. These findings suggest a need for child welfare agencies to help relative caregivers establish boundaries and limits particularly when substance abuse is an issue.

We're All in This Together: Moving Toward an Interdisciplinary Model of Practice Between Child Protection and Substance Abuse Treatment Professionals

Many studies have documented the deleterious effect of substance abuse on the child protection system. The lack of collaboration between child protection and substance abuse treatment professionals has been identified as a contributing factor related to poor outcomes among parents with histories of addiction. The purpose of this study was to identify key components and conflicts of interdisciplinary practice between 21 child protection and substance abuse treatment professionals. The interdisciplinary components and conflicts were: having a shared vision, presenting as a unified team, having different goals, taking sides, and limited information sharing and involvement. Moving toward an interdisciplinary model of practice is vital to providing families with histories of addiction with the optimal chance for success.

Strengths and Challenges of a Prostitution Court Model

ABSTRACT In most major metropolitan cities, prostitution is a revolving-door offense in which individuals are arrested, sentenced, released, and rearrested, while the underlying causes that often result in recidivism virtually go unchanged. Prostitution courts are becoming an increasingly popular way to address prostitution-related offenses. Utilizing the case study method, the purpose of this study is to highlight the strengths and challenges of Supporting the End of Prostitution Permanently (SEPP), a prostitution court serving women with extensive histories of prostitution in Texas. There is a dearth of information about prostitution courts that serve individuals who are facing years in jail or prison. The majority of existing studies focus on prostitution-diversion courts and programs. Data analysis revealed strengths, challenges, and unanticipated factors of the SEPP program. Increasingly, prostitution courts are becoming attractive to local and state jurisdictions that are seeking effective ways to address prostitution. Understanding and highlighting the strengths and challenges that a prostitution court such as SEPP has experienced is important so other programs can build on the successes while minimizing the challenges.