# Presentation: 525179

## Information For:

- Foster/ Adoptive Parents
- And
- Other Care Givers

## Presented By:

- Mike P. McGuire
- 2nd Judicial District Department of Correctional Services- Iowa

## We Will Cover:

- The Impact of Methamphetamine on the Family System.
- The implications for Foster/Adoptive Parents and Caregivers.
- Related System Issues.
- Strategies to Increase Positive Outcomes for Children, Families, and Caregivers.

## DRUGS ARE A SERIOUS PROBLEM

- 6th highest criminal caseload of the       94 districts in the United States

## DRUGS ARE A SERIOUS PROBLEM

- Drug Trafficking Cases

- Meth Cases

- 62.3%

- 41.2%

- 69%

- 14.2%

## SAD FACE OF METH

**SAD FACE OF METH**

## Methamphetamine Abuse and Child Welfare

## Methamphetamine Is:

- Highly Addictive
- Initially Very Appealing to Many
- Initially a Performance Enhancing Drug
- A Drug That Knows No Boundaries
- A Drug That Can Severely Impact a Persons Ability to Function Normally and Especially to Parent!

## Methamphetamine Users:

- Most Often Have Other Drug History
- Substance Use Has Started in Adolescence or Before
- Have Friends and Acquaintances that are Drug Users
- Rarely Pay for the Drug Initially
- Usage Often Quickly Escalates “Just Live to Use Meth”

## The Impact on Families:

- Issues of Abuse and Neglect are Significant.
- The Exposure of Children to Toxins Where Meth is made or Used is a Huge Problem.
- Infants Who Were Perinatally Exposed Can Have a Wide range of Issues
- Living Environment is Often Very Poor
- In Iowa Estimates Are Approximately 50% of Child Welfare Cases are Meth Related*
- Iowa Dept. of Human Services “Methamphetamine and Child Welfare-Carol Gutchewsky

## HEALTHY AND TROUBLED FAMILIES

**Healthy Families**
- Provide Safety
- Self-care
- Open communication
- Individualized roles
- Continuity

**Troubled Families**
- Safety jeopardized
- Co-dependency
- Closed communication
- Family roles
- Chaos

- Information from the Children of Alcoholics Foundation

## Children of Meth Using Parents 

- Are Often in the Caretaker Role
- Learn Not to Trust
- Have Issues with Attachment
- Are Often Exposed to Violence, Drug Sales, Sexual Issues, and Drugs Themselves

## Methamphetamine Exposed InfantsDr. Rizwan Shah, MD, FAAPBlank Children’s Hospital-Des Moines, Iowa

- Symptoms May Vary and Can Be Difficult to Diagnose
- Treatment Should be Based on Symptoms and Not Merely the Fact that Infant Was Drug Affected
- May be at Risk for Problems Later in Life
- Not All Infants/Children Exposed Will Have Problems

- Dr. Shah’s Study Included 368 Infants and Children with Methamphetamine Accounting for 76% of the Cases

## Symptoms of Meth Exposed Infants and Children I 

- NB to 4 Weeks (Dopamine Depletion Syndrome)
- Lethargic-Excessive Sleep
- Poor Suck and Swallow Coordination
- Sleep Apnea

## Symptoms of Meth Exposed Infants and Children II

- Four Weeks to Four Months Age
- CNS Immaturity (effects on motor development)
- Sensory Integration Problems-Tactile, Defensive, Texture Issues
- Neurobehavioral Symptoms-Interaction-Social Development

## Symptoms of Meth Exposed Infants and Children III

- Six Months to Eighteen Months
- The “Honeymoon Phase”
- Symptom Free Period

## Symptoms of Meth Exposed Infants and Children III

- Eighteen Months to Five Years
- Sensory Integration Deficit (same as II)
- Less Focused Attention
- Easily Distracted
- Poor Anger Management
- Aggressive Outbursts
- Speech Language and developmental Problems can occur

## Despite The Challenges These Kids Face:

- We Must Guard Against Labeling!

## Methamphetamine and Parenting

- Understanding the Use of Methamphetamine and Its Various Effects is Helpful in Understanding its Impact on Parenting

## METHAMPHETAMINE

- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Hallucinations
- Paranoia
- Cognitive impairment
- Aggressiveness

- Psychological Effects

## METHAMPHETAMINE

- Insomnia
- Extreme hyperactivity, excessive talkativeness
- Change in attitude or personality
- Changes in friends or hiding of associates
- Change in activities
- Drop in performance
- Loss of interest in family

- Behavioral Signs

## Physical Signs of Use

- Weight Loss
- Darkness Under the Eyes-”Sunken In”
- Oily hair/Skin
- Odor
- Teeth Problems
- Skin Sores (“Crystal Mites”)
- Dilated Pupils
- Can’t Sit Still

## Slide 24

## Slide 25

## The Hierarchy of Use

*Users Will Frequently Escalate in:*
-  How They Use
-  How Much They Use
- How Frequently They Use

## How Used:

- Drink It
- Snort It
- Smoke It
- Shoot It

## Slide 28

## Not All Meth is Created Equally

- Can be significant differences in Purity
- Powdered Meth vs. Ice or Glass
- Cutting or “Stepping On It” Changes Purity

## Slide 30

## Issues In Foster Care And Adoption

- Safety Issues
- Foster/Adoptive Parents Need Information
- Training Issues
- Working With Birth Families
- Support For Families
- Relative Caregiver Issues

## Safety Issues

- Starts with Making Sure That DEC (Drug Endangered Children) Protocols are Followed
- National DEC Protocol Offers Guidelines for Decontamination, Evaluation, Treatment, and Placement for Children Found in Drug Labs.

## Providing Information To Foster/Adoptive Parents

- Foster/Adoptive Parents Want and Need to Know as Much Case History as Possible.
- This Should Include Information About the Family Background, Degree and Type of Drug Exposure
- Also, Informing Families as Soon as Possible What is Expected of Them is Vital

## Families Need Training	

- Training Should be Practical, Realistic, and Offer Strategies that Help Families Deal with Drug Affected Kids and Parents
- Information on Drug Awareness Gives Families a Working Knowledge
- Training Should Also Address the Effects of Actual, Environmental, and Social Exposure to Drugs.

## Working With Birth Families

- Once Kept Apart in Many States, Foster and Adoptive Parents Are being Asked to do More with Birth Families
- Working Together Helps to Increase Positive Outcomes for Children and Families
- Foster/Adoptive Parents Should Receive Specific Training on This Topic.
- Safety for Families Working with Meth Affected Families Must be a Top Priority!

## Support For Families

- Many States Have Statewide Foster/Adoptive Parent Support Associations
- NFPA and NACAC Provide Resources on a National Level
- Many Local Groups Exist for Families as Well
- Specialized Support Groups can be Helpful
- All of These Types of Groups Provide Support, Training, Resources for Families

## Relative Caregiver Issues

- Presents many of the Same Issues that Foster/Adoptive Parents Face-However, Additional Dynamics are Present!

## Other “System” Issues

- Child Welfare Systems Often Too Overloaded to Provide Support to Families
- Issues with “Concurrent Planning” Can be Difficult For Families
- Lack of Training for System Professionals About Drugs
- Addicted Parents Trying to “Beat The System” and Kids Being Returned to Unsafe Situations

## The “Time Paradox”

- Clock Starts Ticking When Child Removed
- Effective Meth Recovery Needs to Be Long term
- Parents Dealing With Loss, Grief, Recovery Issues, etc.
- Time Can “Run Out” Before Issues Are Appropriately Dealt With

## Strategies That Can Help

- Coordinated Efforts That Include *Prevention, Treatment, and Enforcement *Working Closely With Child Welfare Agencies
- Utilizing Treatment Approaches that Offer Long Term Support and Monitoring (i.e. Drug Court)
- Promoting an Atmosphere of Teamwork Between Foster/Adoptive Families, Birth Families, and Child Welfare Agencies is Best Practice
- Licensing Practices that Promote Smoother Transitions to Permanency (Dual Licensing)

## The Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parent Association

- Offers Support and Training to Families.
- Liaison program
- Adoption Information Specialist
- FAIR Line
- Special Activities Throughout the Year

## Training

- 6 Hour Comprehensive Drug Awareness
- 6 Hour “Working with Birth Families”
- DEC Training
- Numerous Other 2-6 Hour Classes for families