What

GoiA (Families under the influence Antwerp) is a part of Free Clinic non-profit organization in collaboration with Zorgbedrijf Antwerp that focuses on families with young children where one or both parents is struggling with a drug problem.

Goal

• GoiA wants to support (ex) drug dependent (future) parents at the earliest possible stage in their parenting role by activating and directing a (parenting) support network around this family. GoiA itself does not provide administrative assistance but wants to coordinate the offer of the various existing services through intensive case management and make it more accessible to these families.
• GoiA wants to support care providers and informal support figures who come into contact with these families and make information and documentation available about this theme.
• In addition, GoiA wants to give policy signals with regard to issues that parents with a drug problem are confronted with in their daily life when trying to fulfil their parental role. Stigmatization and prejudices are often the basis of unequal treatment in care provision.

► The ultimate goal is to promote the development opportunities of children of parents with a drug problem and to prevent these children from developing serious problems themselves.

Vision

The baseline of GoiA is that children and young people from a family where one or both parents is/are struggling with a drug problem, by definition, grow up in a high-risk situation. However, this does not mean that the drug use of the parent(s) always has to hinder proper care and education of the children. After all, in addition to the risk factors relating to the parents, the child and the environment, a number of protective factors may also be present.

GoiA aims to limit risk factors and increase protective factors in consultation with parents. In this way, we try to strive for the right that every child has to grow up in his or her family, provided it is safe. GoiA initially addresses parents with a drug problem about their parenting role and from there, together with the parent, examines which issues within the family stand in the way of the child’s development chances. GoiA focuses on the interests of the child but sees the parent as the most important discussion partner.

What does GoiA do?

• GoiA coordinates the care provision in families with young children with parents with a drug problem; GoiA voluntarily brings parents, services and involved third parties together around the table.
• GoiA directs parents with a drug problem to services they can turn to with questions related to creating a safe parenting environment.
• GoiA wants to use and promote the expertise of care providers so that parents with dependency problems and their children are supported qualitatively and knowledgeably.
• GoiA examines the training needs of care providers and organizes tailor-made training.
• GoiA has an information center where any interested parent, care provider or student can go for more background information about upbringing, drug use, case management, etc.
• GoiA regularly publishes ‘Exponent’, an online newsletter in which the latest developments and interesting facts and publications are mentioned.
• GoiA itself publishes leaflets and brochures about parenting and substance use.

Registration and process

Clients can register with GoiA on their own initiative or referral from general practitioners, hospitals or other centers. Subsequently, a first assessment takes place to determine whether this client system belongs to the target group.

• To be eligible for support from GoiA, the (future) parents must live in Antwerp, or they must call on services based in Antwerp for themselves or their children.
• There must be a current or past problem of dependence on illegal substances.
• If this is the case, and there is a willingness from this client system to cooperate, the client will be further informed about the working method of the project. This can be done at the client’s home, at another (assistance) agency or at GoiA. If the parents agree, a cooperation contract is drawn up between the parents and GoiA in which several mutual commitments are stated.

During the subsequent contacts, the problems of the parents in various areas of life are mapped out, and the primary care for the children is assessed. Subsequently, it is examined which actions should be taken in which areas of life and which offer seems most suitable for this. This information will then help the case manager get started to piece together a suitable support offer. This offer can consist of both formal and informal support. Supply and demand are linked to each other in a round table or coordination meeting to which the parents are invited together with the relevant (care) partners.

After this consultation, the case manager will regularly evaluate, together with parents and care providers, whether or not the goals are being achieved. This can mean that the work plan and/or the goals need to be adjusted, that partners are added or lost. The baseline is always to create a stable and safe parenting climate.

The counseling will continue as long as the parents cooperate or until they indicate that they no longer need it. When parents drop out and can no longer be motivated in any way to cooperate with the project, the case manager will inform all partners involved that GoiA can no longer take up the directing position. If the safety of the children is no longer guaranteed, and no other services are involved, GoiA will be forced to take further steps to ensure the safety of the children.

Case management, therefore, always includes the following components:

•  a systematic assessment of the client’s needs
• the establishment of a coherent and complete assistance plan
• arranging the necessary assistance
• ‘monitoring’ the provided assistance
• the evaluation of what is offered and the indication of what to do next

Specifically aimed at children of drug-dependent parents, two more basic functions can be added here.

• an outreach function to reach potential clients who would otherwise not be reached by the offer
• advocacy on both client and system level