Community Programs in the School of Medicine
Title: Bridges: A Community-Based Care Management Program For Teen/Young Adult Mothers and FathersDescription: The University of Maryland, Baltimore is implementing the BRIDGES to HEALTH/DADs Care demonstration project. The project serves underserved, low income (95% Medicaid), minority (95% African-American), pregnant and parenting teenagers (18 years old or younger), their children, the childrenýs fathers, and other family members.
Pregnant adolescents are recruited from west Baltimore communities and randomly assigned to receive either standard adolescent prenatal clinic services or to receive the intervention. Intervention clients receive comprehensive assessments, home visits, parenting education, and computer assisted motivational interviewing (CAMI) designed to promote healthy relationships and reduce repeat pregnancy. Additional services are needs-driven and client-centered. The project has capitalized on what has been learned in serving pregnant and parenting adolescents and their families in Baltimore, MD. In CAMI sessions, the teen answers questions on a laptop computer that assess partner relationships, sexual behaviors, & risk for repeat pregnancy. Following the assessment, the trained case manager conducts motivational interviewing, a form of behavior change counseling that aims to promote healthy relationships, improve contraceptive and condom use, focus on goals, and promote school continuation. The CAMI intervention is also used with adolescent fathers to increase motivation for healthy relationships and sexual decision-making, particularly around contraceptive/ condom use.
Website: http://medschool.umaryland.edu/familymedicine
School(s): Medicine
Contacts:
Margo Devoe Weston, MS
410-328-2626
mdevoe@som.umaryland.edu
Community Served: Citywide
Services Provided: Health education,Parenting services,Research/Clinical trials
Client type: Teenagers
Physical Location: Off Campus
School System Served: Baltimore City
Office Location:
Service Location: Homes, Schools
Program Timeframe: Continuous
Health Fairs Other: Depending on need for program enrollment
