Prenatal Substance Awareness Essay

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Introduction Anthony, Austin, and Cormier (2010), authors of “Early Detection of Prenatal Substance Exposure and the Role of Child Welfare,” studied the risks of prenatal substance exposure, issues with testing and the roles of the child welfare system. Anthony et al. (2010) explain that substance exposure creates a public health problem and affects several agencies such as child welfare. Substance abuse has an unfavorable effect on child development that could be decreased by early detection and prevention. They have created credible means for assessing substance abuse which can be performed in a reasonable amount of time with limited training, but there are obstacles in screening, such as, physicians wanting to protect the patients right …show more content…
Different states have developed different policies: only 16 states consider substance abuse during the prenatal period child abuse, only 14 states require health professionals to report it and 4 states to screen for drugs if they suspect use and 19 states fund treatment for pregnant women (Anthony et al., 2010). The federal Adoption and Safe Families Act encouraged the role of child welfare’s involvement and the Child and Family Reviews wants assessment and referrals. In 2003 an amendment was made to Child Abuse and Prevention Act which required a response to infants who have been exposed to drugs and encouraged early detection, however, it does not mandate testing or screening (Anthony et al., …show more content…
A Social worker is responsible for helping clients improve their situation, understanding the history of their lives, have an unbiased stand when working with clients and be aware of cultural issues and at- risk populations. It is important to be aware of the services provided in your area to better help your client into treatment. Some areas lack efficient treatment

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