Parents As Teachers Plus (PAT +)

The Parents As Teachers Plus (PAT+) program focuses services on pregnant women and families with children 0-3 years who are abusing drugs. Parents As Teachers is an evidence based parent education model whose purpose is to improve child development, strengthen family relationships and parent/child attachment, promote positive birth outcomes, and reduce substance use in parents.

PAT is designed to educate parents about what to expect during their child's development and teach them ways to encourage learning while fostering a strong parent-child relationship. The PAT+ team will provide services that include home visits, care coordination, developmental assessments, support groups, family strengthening and parent skills training as well as substance abuse recovery and relapse prevention services.

PAT+ is a 2 year curriculum that focuses on prenatal care through the child’s third year of life. Wrap-around services are provided by referrals for services that include substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, education and job training, childcare, breastfeeding support and nutrition counseling funded by Healthy Start and other community agencies.