The objective of this proposal is to implement an innovative, family therapy plus advocacy interventionto address the secondary disabilities of dysfunctional life skills among youths and young adults ages 16-25 thathave FAS or FASD. Using an ecological approach to the intervention, a prospective two-group randomizedcontrolled trial will follow 100 youth and young adults (described throughout as the 'focal individual') identifiedas having FAS/FASDs through a twelve-month intervention with a six month follow-up assessment.Participants in the study will receive community standard care (CSC) or the community standard care plus thePartners for Success Intervention (PFS). Primary analysis will consider the influence of type of care (CSCversus PFS) on (a) disruptive behaviors and (b) coping and problem-solving skills. Secondary analysis willconsider the influence of the type of service received as community standard of care on the primary outcomes.We will also examine impact of the intervention on improving parent coping and problem solving skills,improved job performance (supervisor performance ratings), or improved school performance (teacher ratings).The PFS will offer specialized family therapy plus advocacy training for the family or primary caregiver(s) andspecialized advocacy training for the case advocate assigned to the focal individual. This proposal develops two greater CDC purposes: connecting research with health practice andpromoting community health to underserved populations. As Saint Louis University (SLU) is the home for theCDC funded Midwest Regional Fetal Alcohol Training Center (MRFASTC), this proposal outlines theprospectus of a promising FAS pilot intervention. MRFASTC is a community-based training center, focused ondisseminating the latest research on prevention, diagnosis, and condition management for those living withFAS/FASD to health and social service practitioners/educators. In the need for connecting knowledge/researchto health practice, the prospect of MRFASTC and the PFS intervention sharing institutional orientation withinSaint Louis University is a logical progression for bridging scientific study and practice services- a link whichhas historically been filled with many barriers. Lastly, given the absence of any tailored services targetingyoung adults with FAS/FASD in the Saint Louis metro-area, the proposal provides an appropriate setting toestablishing a new 'service-well' for this underserved population-fulfilling the goals of the CDC towardsimproving quality of life, preventing development of secondary disabling conditions, and providing support andassistance throughout the lifespan. Findings from this study will directly inform a future study that will expandthe PFS intervention to a larger group of youth and young adults with FAS/FASDs. Consistent with thepurposes of the U84 grant mechanism, the specific aims of this proposal include a randomized control studydesigned to generate preliminary results.
This intervention, should it be successful, will provide a program of home visits for families and a mentor for the youth and young adult ages 16-25 with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) to prevent secondary disabilities of incarceration, substance abuse, and poor quality of life. These secondary disabilities are costly to society, thus this intervention will reduce the long-term cost of care for youth and young adults with FAS and FASDs.
