September is a busy month! We’ve been celebrating recovery all month, but we want to be sure our community knows about other important causes during September. Our team is also representing awareness in the community for FASD Awareness Month – also known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. The Family First recently went blue to promote awareness with staff and in-patient and out-patient clients.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects can include physical problems and problems with behavior and learning. Often, a person with an FASD has a mix of these problems.*
Our Family First team works diligently with clients in our residential program for intervention and awareness while they are beginning the recovery process. For our male and female clients in outpatient services, the Family First team brings awareness to help prevent FASD, but also to be pro-active if someone’s child has been diagnosed and to help prevent future pregnancies from suffering the same outcome. The Family First team provides parenting classes for both in-patient and outpatient clients of Alpha Home.
Of all the addictions, alcohol use is the most unforgiving on the fetal development with lifelong effects. If you are a partner organization, our Family First team would be happy to come out and provide a session on prevention and awareness. As a community, we can end FASD.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction and is pregnant, please contact Alpha Home urgently at (210) 735-3822. We can help you!
- excerpted from the CDC – see here
