ABSTRACT
There is clear evidence that ensuring safe, stimulating, and nurturing caregiving environments for young children may be one of the most impactful health promotion strategies available, with lifelong and intergenerational benefits. Supports and interventions in the early years of life may in fact be the most effective way to improve school performance, increase high school graduation rates, job performance, and adult productivity. A public health approach to early childhood well-being, as opposed to the needs of children being addressed in multiple siloes, may be a more effective strategy that will lead to smarter investments and increasing financial commitments. Louisiana is used as a case study, with examples of strategies organized by the 3 core functions of public health. (PsycINFO Database Record
Subject(s)
Child Development , Health Policy/economics , Health Promotion/economics , Public Health/economics , Adult , Child , Humans , Louisiana , Socioeconomic FactorsABSTRACT
Nurses working in the Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) program provide intensive home-visitation services for first-time, low-income mothers. The goals are to improve maternal health outcomes, child health and development outcomes, and to enhance maternal life-course development; however, many of the families face significant psychosocial and mental health issues that can impede progress achieving their goals. Because of the importance of the nurse-client relationship in achieving positive outcomes, these non-mental-health nurses must shift their approaches and techniques from a medical to a psychosocial model. In this article, we examine the role of the nurse in the NFP and present results of focus groups with experienced NFP nurses regarding their perspectives, challenges, and rewards in conducting this work.
ABSTRACT
The Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) model is a well-studied and effective preventive intervention program targeting first-time, impoverished mothers and their families. Data documenting the negative impact of maternal depression and partner violence on the developing young child can be used to make a strong case for augmenting NFP programs to focus on mental health problems impacting the mother-child relationship. This article reviews the rationale for and process of augmenting an NFP program in Louisiana. Data on the prevalence of depression and partner violence in our sample are presented alongside a training protocol for nurses and mental health consultants designed to increase the focus on infant mental health. The use of a weekly case conference and telephone supervision of mental health consultants as well as reflections on the roles of the mental health consultant and the nurse supervisor are presented.
