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by Traci Austin, Research Coordinator
The baby girl was born with crystal meth and marijuana in her system. Her mother had no job and was living with a relative. Her father was not around. From the moment of her birth, this little girl faced a host of problems that put her at high risk to have developmental delays. Mosaic and its Early Intervention Program (EIP) in Grants, New Mexico is ready to help her, and her family, make sure that she gets the best chance possible to overcome those risks and develop fully.
For nearly 15 years, the Grants EIP has provided services to children who have, or who are at risk to have, developmental delays, and to their families. The program has grown dramatically in the last year, from less than a dozen children and families, to more than 75. Directed by Michelle Staley and staffed by a dedicated team of therapists, the program supports a child's development and learning during the crucial time from birth to age three.
"We really just support children and families without judgment," Staley said. "A lot of people would judge a mother who used drugs while pregnant. We start from where that family is now. Most of the children we see are at risk because of the environment, things like poverty and poor nutrition."
Children are referred to the Early Intervention Program if they show a 25% delay in development, or if they have an established condition or genetic disorder. In addition, New Mexico is one of only seven states to recognize that a child's environment may contribute to developmental delays. Therefore, the state allows children facing certain risk factors -- including poverty, drug abuse, family violence, and lack of adequate housing -- to enter the program, even if no delay is documented.
Once a child enters the EIP, a team of therapists -- speech, physical, and occupational -- and a psychiatrist evaluate the child for fine and gross motor skills as well as emotional and mental development. Ideally, all necessary services are then provided in the home, the child's natural environment. The home environment is the focus of the Early Intervention Program because a child develops best in a stable and supportive environment. One of the main goals of the EIP is to help the family understand how to support the child so that he or she can grow and develop fully.
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Often, this means that EIP staff members help parents and other family members identify resources to assist with other issues they are facing.
"There are so many hurdles to get a family where their basic needs
are just getting met," Staley said. "That's tough sometimes. There is no transportation to help get out and get an education. There's very limited child care available."
One year after being referred to the Mosaic EIP by the State of New Mexico, the baby girl born with marijuana and crystal meth in her system faces far fewer risks to her development. Through the efforts of the Mosaic EIP staff and referrals to additional social services, the baby's father is back in the picture, both parents are drug free, and the baby girl is developing without any signs of delay.
Because of its location among Native American nations, Mosaic in Grants has contact with the Navajo, Laguna, and Acoma tribes. This brings unique challenges to providing services.
"Each tribe has its own beliefs, clans, and culture, and our staff has to be careful to honor those," Staley said.
Even such a simple act as choosing which toys to bring into a home can raise cultural issues. It can be challenging even to know how to talk to families about developmental disabilities. In some Native American cultures, it is not proper to talk about what is not happening, or about what should be happening. To help build bridges of understanding, EIP staff draw upon their relationships with members of Native American communities. For example, a child from a family that only spoke Navajo recently needed services. Staley was able to call upon a Navajo mother whose child had received services in the past to act as a parent advocate with the new family.
In addition to growth, Mosaic in Grants is also expanding the services it can provide to families. The agency will be part of a
Telehealth system run by the University of New Mexico, a program that will deliver medical care to rural areas via two-way audio and visual technology. A portable videoconferencing phone will allow Mosaic staff to tap into the Telehealth program from a family's home.
It truly takes a village to raise a child, and Mosaic in Grants does its part to build and sustain that village.