Adolescent pregnancy program stresses family counseling, educational services

Pathways, and adolescent family life demostration program at St. Ann's Infant and Maternity Home in Hyattsville, Maryland, which initiated activities in March, 1983, served 268 clients in its 1st year. 59% were 17 years of age or under. A 5-year grant from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs provided for residential care for pregnant adolescents lacking family to assist them in the last phase of pregnancy; a day program offering accredited educational services and community vocational resources, training in parenting skills, individual and family counseling, and prenatal care for teenagers; an aftercare residence for adolescent mothers and their infants with an intensive program of vocational and parenting education; and a community outreach program offering health care, counseling, family life education, adoption, and other services. The program differs from previous programs at St. Ann's in 5 main ways: 1) substantial care is available to teenage mothers after delivery 2) educational services have been expanded for mothers living at home and attending during the day 3) a more comprehensive counseling program with more intensive family focus in included 4) the program is raching out into the community with a range of services to adolescents seeking assistance, regardless of race, religion, or financial status, and 5) an evluation program has been developed to monitor the operating program, the adolescents receiving services, and their children. The National Center for Family Studies at the Catholic University of America has assisted in staff training and service delivery design. Follow-up studies on clients who have left the program are only beginning. Counseling plans are formulated to fit individual needs, but all residents participate in group therapy sessions led by a psychiatrist and social worker. The infants' fathers and the adolescents' parents recieve services when possible. Although the grant finances the basic program, additional funds are contributed by foundations, United Way, program service fees, and public agencies. Client fees are based on a sliding scale which ranges from 30-100% of the acutal cost of care. Maximum enrollment in the program is 8 mothers and babies in the Aftercare Program, 25 adolescents in the residential program, 10-16 in the day programs, and 40-50 in the coumunity outreach program.