Drugs, Pregnancy and Parenting Part II: April 29, 2010

Across the country, politicians continue to use medical misinformation about drugs, pregnant women, and parents to justify new punitive laws and counterproductive state actions. On April 29, 2010, National Advocates for Pregnant Women, with New York University’s School of Law, and the NYU Silver School of Social Work will be hosting its second continuing education program to address the myths and misinformation that too often influence public policies concerning drug use, pregnant women and parents.

Across the country, politicians continue to use medical misinformation about drugs, pregnant women, and parents to justify new punitive laws and counterproductive state actions. On April 29, 2010, National Advocates for Pregnant Women, with New York University’s School of Law, and the NYU Silver School of Social Work will be hosting its second continuing education program to address the myths and misinformation that too often influence public policies concerning drug use, pregnant women and parents.

 

This dynamic program, Drugs, Pregnancy and Parenting: What the Experts Have to Say—Part II will feature nationally renowned researchers, social workers and legal experts, as well as people with direct experience. These presenters will help distinguish myth from fact, evidence-based information from media hype and provide meaningful tools for improved advocacy, representation, care and treatment for pregnant women, parents, children, and families. This program will specifically focus on the question of what happens when children remain with parents who use or abuse drugs.

 

The distinguished panel of speakers includes:

 

Marylou Behnke, MD, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Florida (UF) College of Medicine in the Division of Neonatology and is Co-Director of the North Central Early Steps, a part of Florida’s early intervention program.  

 

Fonda Davis Eyler, PhD is a Professor of Pediatrics at the UF College of Medicine in the Division of Neonatology and Co-Director of the North Central Early Steps Program.

 

Dr. Eyler and Dr. Behnke have, since 1991, been research partners. Their research, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse-NIH, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, and the University of Florida, has focused primarily on a longitudinal cohort of 308 prenatally cocaine-exposed and non-exposed children from rural Florida. Both Drs. Eyler and Behnke have received UF Research Professorship, Sustained Academic Excellence and Top Funded Researcher Awards.  

 

Carl L. Hart, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychology in both the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at Columbia University, and Director of the Residential Studies and Methamphetamine Research Laboratories at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. A major focus of Dr. Hart’s research is to understand complex interactions between drugs of abuse and the neurobiology and environmental factors that mediate human behavior and physiology.  

 

Sabra Jackson is currently the coordinator for the city-wide Parent Advocate Network, which is a part of the Parent Advocate Initiative. Ms. Jackson has an understanding of child welfare policy and practice as both a client and a service provider.  She is the proud single mother of two children: Sabra Inez (12yrs) and Peyton Ulysses (5yrs).

 

Gretchen Lord, LCSW serves as the Director of the Beacon Preventive Services Program at the Center For Family Life in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The families she serves face difficult challenges such as family trauma, foster care placement, domestic violence, issues with drugs and alcohol  and mental health issues.

 

Lynn M. Paltrow, JD the Founder and Executive Director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women and Martin F. Guggenheim, JD, the Boxer Family Professor of Clinical Law at New York University School of Law will be participating in the program as well.

 

When: Thursday, April 29, 2010 (half day program 12p-5p)

Where: NYU School of Law, 40 Washington Square South, Manhattan

Registration: http://napwedprogram.eventbrite.com 

 

Continuing Education Credits in the areas of Law, Social Work and CASAC will be offered.

 

For more information, contact Aileen Dibra, NAPW Conference Coordinator, at [email protected]