 
The Women's Treatment Center
|
breaking the cycle of addiction
mending the bonds between women and their children! February 2010 - Issue 2
|
|
|
TO MAKE A
SECURE DONATION, PLEASE CLICK BELOW
|
|
TWTC pays 3% processing fee per donation to Just Give; please consider adding 3% to your gift.
| |
|
| Greetings! |
While 2009 brought difficult economic times for many and loss of major funding for us, your continued partnership encouraged and inspired us more than ever. I would like to thank you for your ongoing support throughout 2009 and during the recent holiday season. Thank you for bringing the gifts of sobriety and togetherness to the women and families we serve at TWTC.
Executive Director
|
Reaching Out
|
TWTC responds to Haiti disaster:
Staff physician joins medical relief efforts
A compassionate member of TWTC's staff, Dr. Lionel Barberousse, has reached out to the Haitian disaster victims through assisting with medical relief efforts. Dr. Barberousse, a part-time unit physician at TWTC and a Haitian himself, traveled to Haiti on February 8 with an international relief group to provide much needed medical services to the victims. He will serve in Haiti for two weeks. We wish Dr. Barberousse and the people of Haiti the best!
| |
|
|
| Up Coming Events |
Mothers at TWTC talk about their 'Journey of Recovery' at a Community Forum -
Join us!
Children suffer when their mother goes to prison. A cutting-edge Alternative Sentencing program at TWTC funded by the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) and the Illinois Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (DASA) reunites families and mends the bonds between mothers and their children. Mothers live at TWTC with their children as they complete as much as the last two years of their prison sentence for non-violent drug offenses. While at TWTC, mothers engage in substance abuse treatment and parenting skills classes as well as work to complete education programs and employment training leading to independent living.
You are invited
to hear two mothers talk about their 'Journey of Recovery' at TWTC
and what they have gained in this innovative alternative sentencing program.
Guest Speaker: Representative from Community Renewal Society -
Children of Incarceration Program
When: Thursday, March 18
Where: The University Club - 76 E. Monroe, Chicago, IL 60603
Networking reception: 5:30 p.m.
Program: 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
Q & A: 6:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
|
Thanking BIG!
|
|
Hedge Funds Care gives a generous $40,000 grant to Infant/Toddler Daycare Program
Many thanks to Hedge Funds Care (HFC) for its grant renewal of $40,000 to sustain TWTC's Infant/Toddler Daycare in 2010. We value our continued partnership with HFC geared toward the ultimate goal: building healthier communities and generations by breaking the cycle of addiction and strengthening family structures.
A 1998 study by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO, 2000) estimated that 74% of Cook County children had at least one parent who was required to undergo drug/alcohol treatment as part of the case plan for family reunification. In over 90% of those cases, the mother was the one required to get treatment.
Lack of access to reliable childcare is one of the primary reasons why mothers don't seek the treatment they so desperately need. TWTC's Infant/Toddler Daycare fills this need by serving as a powerful inducement to enter treatment. Beyond providing children ages 0-3 a safe place to stay while the mothers receive treatment, our Daycare ensures that children are nurtured - physically, emotionally and mentally - through age appropriate curricula, health screenings and developmental activities. TWTC's Daycare served 133 children in fiscal year 2009.
|
Partnerships and Collaborations
|
 Dental screening day for children at TWTC
The basement conference room at The Women's Treatment Center became a fully functional "dental office" February 15 when the Mobile Dentists brought their Smile Illinois Program to the children in residence at The Women's Treatment Center. As she brushed and examined each child's teeth, dentist Susan Ash sang the "ABC" song to distract children and signal dental hygienist Karen Batka as to the location of early stage dental cavities.
The dental screenings are part of TWTC's commitment to the total health of the young children in residence at TWTC. Dental decay is one of the most common chronic, infectious diseases in children. Annually, more than 60 percent of all children never see a dentist. TWTC brings in the Mobile Dentists on a regular basis to ensure that every child at TWTC who has not been to the dentist within a year receives screening, cleaning and a fluoride treatment, as needed. For older children, the Mobile Dentist program also seals healthy molars to further guard against teeth decay.
Nurse Angela Tucker, who coordinates the children's pediatric health program at TWTC, had the children watch a video to prepare them for the dentist's visit, and she coached mothers to practice having their children say "ah" and open their mouths wide. Dr. Ash and Ms. Batka told Nurse Tucker they were impressed both with the children's cooperative spirit and with the good condition of their teeth and gums. Only four of the 16 children, ages 13 months to 6 years, showed any signs of cavities. Many thanks to Dr. Susan Ash and the Mobile Dentists program for helping to keep all our kids healthy!
|
From The Forefront
|
"It's a disease; it is not your fault, and there are safe people who can help."
As the nation celebrates 'Children of the Alcoholics Week 2010' to honor recovery, The Women's Treatment Center continues its commitment to provide children of alcoholics and other substance abusers a safe, caring environment and an opportunity to reconnect with their mothers and families. Because addiction affects the whole family and generations, TWTC strongly focuses on children's programming and women-specific services to really break this cycle of addiction and heal communities.
An estimated 25% of all children in the US (about 27.8 million) are affected by alcohol addiction. These children are at increased risk for a range of physical, emotional and mental problems, and susceptibility to other addictions later in life.
To address the risk of these adverse affects of substance abuse on children, TWTC offers unique programs such as Parenting Program for improved parenting skills; Crisis Nursery and Infant/Toddler Daycare as safe havens and foundations for better child development while mothers are in treatment; Early Childhood Mental Health Program with onsite psychiatric and mental health seervices for children; PACT program to mend family bonds by two-way teleconferencing at TWTC between incarcerated mothers and their children.
We expect to launch two new support groups in march, one for fathers of children residing at TWTC and the other for clients' children ages 7 to 17 years. Our groups will have a specific therapeutic focus in which children will learn coping strategies such as self-care, conflict management and resolution, effective communication and self-awareness.
| |
Please contact our Development Associate, Sadia Qureshi, at squreshi@womenstreatmentcenter.org or at 312-633-4982 at any time with your suggestions, questions and comments related to our work.
We look forward to hearing from you!
|
|
|
|
|
