Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
FFY 2011 Annual Progress and Services Report
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stability of children and families affected by methamphetamine and other substances of abuse.
Additionally, FACTS is designed to promote the development of strategies to improve
collaboration between treatment providers in order to improve safety, permanency and stability
of children and families affected by methamphetamine and other substances of abuse. In
addition to a strong program evaluation component driven by outcome-based measures,
FACTS has three main program components, including:
1. Clinic-based evaluations and treatment services for children and families affected by
prenatal or environmental exposure to methamphetamine and other substances of abuse.
2. Community based trainings for individuals directly affected by, or working with, the
methamphetamine epidemic and substance abuse.
3. A Regional Work Group to address issues related to systems integration and service
delivery in southern Illinois.
Successful completion of this 5-year project will result in an overall improvement in the
permanency, stability, safety, developmental functioning, and mental health of children who
have been prenatally or environmentally exposed to methamphetamine or other substances of
abuse and the creation of a sustainable system of care for children and their families who have
been affected by prenatal or environmental exposure to methamphetamine or other substances
of abuse.
Program Activities
During the first 3 ½ years of this project, FACTS has become an active participant in the
southern Illinois’s treatment community, providing medical, psychological, and therapeutic
services to over 335 children, adolescents, and their families. The youth presenting to FACTS
have a variety of direct and indirect problems related to prenatal and environmental substance
exposure, with the majority of the children seen having significant trauma histories that often
complicate existing neurobiological problems. Through the evaluation and therapy services
provided, clinic staff work with each child’s family (whether foster, adoptive, or biological) to
help them understand their child’s unique needs and formulate appropriate treatment plans to
assist the child and family. By ensuring that the child’s needs are met and that the family
actually understands what the child needs to develop into healthy individual and have the skills
and resources to make this happen, we have helped many families stay together that were at
risk for disruption.
Over the past year, we have formed a good working relationship with the adoption preservation
program at Children’s Home and Aid. At this point, we have evaluated approximately 67% of
the children in this program. The evaluations have offered them insight into each child’s
specific needs and have helped stabilized many placements that were at risk of a disruption.
During this past grant year, we have worked with our partner, Southern Illinois Healthcare
Foundation (SIHF), to strengthen the early identification process of at-risk infants. Women
receiving prenatal care at SIHF’s medical sites receive a screening that assesses their substance
use during the pregnancy. If a woman is identified as using substances, she given a brief
intervention and appropriate treatment referrals. Once her child is born, he or she is closely
followed and screened for developmental issues by pediatricians at SIHF. If any concerns
arise, the child is referred to FACTS for a comprehensive evaluation. Over the past year, this
