The Goals of First Steps

The goals of First Steps are:

• to help mothers build and maintain healthy, independent family lives.
• to assure that children are in safe and stable homes.
• to prevent future births of alcohol and drug exposed children.

The First Steps Approach

Trained and supervised advocates provide home visitation and intervention to mothers and their families for 3 years. Advocates assist mothers in:

• Setting goals and identifying steps to achieve them
• Obtaining alcohol/drug treatment
• Staying in recovery
• Choosing a family planning method
• Accessing child health care and immunizations
• Connecting with community services
• Transporting to important appointments
• Sorting out housing and child custody problems
• Addressing domestic violence
• Resolving system service barriers

Is First Steps for you?

Call to find out more about the program if you or someone you know can answer yes to all four of the following. I...

• am pregnant or up to six months postpartum
• have used alcohol and/or other substances during my pregnancy
• lack connections to other community services
• wish to make changes in my life

How to Make a Referral

If you or someone you know could benefit from the services offered by
First Steps please contact the:

Regional Programs Manager
477 3rd St SE
Medicine Hat AB
Phone: 403-526-7473

We recognize that change is difficult.

Therefore, mothers are not asked to leave the program if they relapse or experience setbacks.
Instead, advocates will stay with mothers for three years to provide extensive practical assistance and the long-term emotional support that is so important to women who are making fundamental changes in their lives.
First Steps is based on an initiative of the Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit at the University of Washington. Findings of this project indicated that after 3 years of being matched with an advocate:
            
88% of mothers had completed alcohol/drug treatment programs;

78% of mothers had at least one period of abstinence from drugs and/or alcohol for 6 months or more;

65% were using family planning methods on a regular basis; and

74% of children were living with their own families.

For additional information, please contact

477 – 3rd Street SE
Medicine Hat, AB   T1A 0G8
Phone: 403-526-7473
Fax: 403-504-2459

The First Steps program is funded by