Martha’s Place – Children’s Assessment Center
For fiscal years 2007 - 09, the Commission awarded Martha’s Place over $400,000. Martha’s Place began assessing children
suspected of exposure to perinatal substance abuse in February 2007. At full operation, up to 144 children will be assessed annually. Martha’s Place also refers children to appropriate treatment services in the community and provides some treatment services in-house. Systems Change activities include the coordination of existing treatment services, increasing the capacity of existing treatment providers and the addition of new and needed services.
Key Elements of the Center
- Single point of entry for all children
- Family-focused approach
- Multidisciplinary staffing: physicians psychologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech & language therapist, infant mental health specialists and early childhood & developmental specialists
- Assessment completed at a single visit
- Family Resource Specialist
- Co-Location of exiting assessment resources with multi-agency teams
Since opening in February 2007, Martha’s Place has made four life saving interventions with five young children. The mission of Martha’s Place is to provide assessment, referral and some treatment services to children exhibiting symptoms of perinatal substance abuse. Dramatic, life saving interventions, while not completely unexpected, have been a bit of an eye opener about the intensity and complexity of needs posed by children and families coping with the destructive effects of substance abuse.
In one scenario, the pediatrician at Martha’s Place detected an infant with a skull fracture and difficulty breathing due to a lung infection, compounded by low overall muscle tone. Upon identification, immediate crisis intervention by Martha’s Place staff resulted in hospitalization and saving the child’s life. Three months later the child is making appropriate developmental progress and continues to be monitored by Martha’s Place staff. Other scenarios include clinical staff skillfully intervened with: 1) a child diagnosed as failure to thrive, 2) a mother and two children requiring safe haven from a dangerous and volatile domestic violence situation, and 3) a severely depressed child with suicidal ideation, a suicide plan and intentions to execute the plan.
As noted in these examples, some of the children receiving assessment services are in critical life situations. In a matter of six months, Martha’s Place has established itself as a resource for families and agencies facing the behavioral and developmental challenges of children affected by parental substance abuse while pregnant.
Martha's Place: Children's Assessment Center
For More Information, please contact:
Nisha AbdulCader, M.D., F.A.A.P.
Clinical Director
Martha's Place Children's Assessment Center
2925 McMillan Ave., Suite 108
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805)547-1650