Clinical Institute

Purpose
NTI Upstream’s Clinical Institute is designed to enhance the clinical knowledge and skills of practitioners from a broad spectrum of specialties.  Participation in the Clinical Institute promotes clinicians’ abilities to provide direct services to children and families affected by substance abuse and to serve as community leaders in the integration of services and systems for women, children, and families.  A maximum of seven clinicians at a time, from programs around the country, attend this three-day Institute.  Through their participation, clinicians are able to replicate the strategies and expertise developed at Children's Research Triangle.

About Children's Research Triangle
Children's Research Triangle is a not-for-profit that specializes in working with children prenatally exposed to drugs and/or alcohol and their families.  Since 1998, Children’s Research Triangle has been in the forefront of many issues related to maternal substance abuse in pregnancy, the outcomes of children prenatally exposed to drugs, and the child welfare implications of substance abuse in families. The research team at Children’s Research Triangle has been the first to report in peer-reviewed journals on a number of different issues. Although it is difficult to be the first to report any particular finding, it is more difficult to await confirmation by other studies, but in all cases, all data first published by Children’s Research Triangle’s researchers have been corroborated by studies at other institutions and organizations. The staff at Children’s Research Triangle has written articles that have been published in Pediatrics, The New England Journal of Medicine, The Journal of Pediatrics, The Journal of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and numerous other leading medical journals. 

In 2001, Children's Research Triangle was named by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services, as one of five national centers for the study of successful interventions for children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders. The purpose of the project was to develop and evaluate a program of neurocognitive habilitation within a systematic intervention strategy for children in the child welfare system who have a diagnosis of FAS or ARND. By targeting and addressing the children's biologically based deficits and enhancing their families' capabilities to care for them, the children's developmental outcomes improve and we prevent secondary conditions.

In 2006, Children's Research Triangle was the recipient of the federal MCHB FASD grant.  As part of this grant, Children's Research Triangle will be developing training and technical assistance programs for CHCs and MCH sites that will impact clinical practice in three areas: Prevention, Identification, and Supporting individuals with FAS.  This project’s final product will be a full curriculum with print, electronic, and video support materials that can be utilized to replicate the training program in communities and clinical programs across the nation. 

Program Philosophy
In the face of tremendous demands to do more with less, professionals working with children prenatally exposed to alcohol and other drugs deserve our best efforts in professional development and support.  Thus, we are dedicated to ensuring that participants leave Clinical Institute with a wealth of knowledge and insight founded on research-based approaches to intervention and treatment of these very complex children and their families. 

The training and support provided by the staff of Children's Research Triangle is built on what we know about adult learning and change.  We utilize a pre-institute assessment process to develop a curriculum that meets the specific needs of the participants.  The learning experience engages participants’ emotions as well as their intellect.  This enables participating practitioners to develop the capacity for a fresh and energetic response to each encounter with the children they serve and to respond appropriately to the needs of this very vulnerable population.

Emphasis is placed on program evaluation so that upon returning to their home communities, clinicians are able to design approaches that demonstrate the effects they are having on the children and families they serve.  This helps build sustainability into the clinicians’ community-based programs and ensures a long-term commitment to program growth and development. 

Objectives
A needs assessment, completed prior to clinicians’ visit to the Clinical Institute, guides the development of the specific learning objectives for the Institute.  In general, at the completion of the 3-day program, participants will be able to:

1. Discuss Children's Research Triangle’s transdisciplinary management model for the assessment and treatment of health and behavioral health problems found in children ages 0-18 who have been prenatally exposed to alcohol and other drugs. 
2. Identify the range of physical, developmental, and psychological problems experienced by children prenatally exposed to alcohol and other drugs. 
3. Analyze the developmental, behavioral, and emotional aspects present in a family affected by substance abuse.
4. Analyze the cognitive and behavioral development of children prenatally exposed to alcohol and/or drugs.
5. Develop treatment and case management strategies for the integration of services required by families caring for prenatally exposed children.
6. Facilitate professional role development as a member of a transdisciplinary team involved in the management of children who have been prenatally exposed to alcohol and other drugs. 

Attendees’ Feedback
“First hand observation of children helped to translate knowledge into practice.  The parents’ panel helped to articulate information and viewpoints that we need to focus on.  The Clinical Institute solidified general knowledge about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome…and the effects of other drugs, tobacco, etc.  After attending the Clinical Institute I’m more comfortable with the idea of doing work with this population because they allowed me us to see the process and learn how to avoid the pitfalls.”
Sima Rae Stanley, LCSW
Ventura, CA

“I now believe that I have a more comprehensive knowledge about the diagnosis and treatment of children who were drug-exposed in utero.  Therefore, I am now better prepared to deliver appropriate services to many of my clients.”
Linda Meyer, PhD
Champaign, IL

“I am impressed with the depth and scope of the information given, the knowledge of the staff, and with the willingness and desire to share information.  Our needs were met…I am looking forward to continuing our relationship with the Institute.”
Edgar Castellanos, MD
Monterey, CA

“The Clinical Institute was extremely valuable to me as a psychologist.  It helped me to understand Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and drug effects and how to identify the underlying precipitators and make appropriate recommendations.”
Judy K. Osgood, PhD
Champaign, IL

Program Fee
The three-day Clinical Institute begins on Monday morning and ends on Wednesday at 4 p.m.  A fee of $1800 per person includes all training materials, faculty and support time, continental breakfast each morning, and one lunch.  Attendees are responsible for their other meals, airfare, and hotel costs.  Children's Research Triangle will assist participants in obtaining hotel rooms at the lowest possible rate. 

2009 Dates NOW AVAILABLE

September 14-16, 2009
October 19-21, 2009
November 16-18, 2009

Contact Us
For more information or to sign up for a Clinical Institute, please contact Cheryl Pratt at 312-726-4011 x 5668 or email: cpratt@cr-triangle.org.