Walter R. McDonald & Associates Inc.(WRMA)'s greatest strength is the extensive hands-on, nationwide experience of its senior professional staff, and the resulting, exceptionally high quality managerial and technical consulting services that these professionals are able to provide.

Perinatal Substance Abuse Programs Evaluation   The goals of the WRMA multiyear evaluation of the Perinatal Substance Abuse Programs were to assess the effectiveness of services provided by California’s Department of Social Services, Office of Child Abuse Prevention to pregnant and parenting substance abusers to prevent the abuse or neglect of their drug exposed infants and children. Seven main areas of attention were identified: Design of the data collection tools; Effectiveness of outreach efforts in early identification of clients at risk; Qualitative evaluation of service, scope of services, and coordination in delivery of multiple services to clients; Characteristics of families identified as at risk of poor pregnancy outcomes and the abuse or neglect of their children; Comparative cost analysis of the projects; Probable long-term successes and differential rates of success associated with the different family characteristics, frequency, and causes of subsequent reports of abuse or neglect; and Factors key to successful replication of programs and program elements with specific populations. The seven evaluated programs served more than 1,000 adult clients. One-third of the clients completed the program and attained their goals. The clients who completed the program and attained their goals were more successful in avoiding a recurrence of maltreatment, removal of their children, and drug-affected births than those clients who failed to complete the programs.

Back to the top