“I am Concerned…”: A Brief Intervention for the Primary Prenatal Care Setting

If you learn that a pregnant woman is using alcohol or drugs and will not seek treatment, what can you do? Lecturing her will not work and threats about what might happen to her or her baby are counter-productive. What can be helpful is an honest conversation in the safety of the primary prenatal care setting that is based on facts and the strengths of your relationship with her. “I Am Concerned…” is a pre-treatment curriculum designed for use in the primary prenatal care setting. It is for pregnant women who need some form of drug treatment, but who refuse to get it. The book contains background information on drug use among women, the brief intervention approach, and drug-specific information on tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamines, marijuana, heroin, oxycontin, and PCP. Simple language and pictures of drug-exposed children guide conversation in a supportive and educational manner. The “I Am Concerned…” Pre-Treatment Manual includes a video of a newborn experiencing withdrawal from drugs.