Abstract for presentation at Global Social Work 2004

Throughout 2003-4, Child and Youth Health SA has been implementing an ambitious statewide universal early intervention program with the families of all new babies born in the state. The aims of this project are focussed very much on the congress theme; to nurture and support parents and families in order to build community and social capacity. This is being attempted through maternal-infant health nurse home visiting and the early identification, with the parent, of any social, financial and health risk factors present. For high need families who accept, a sustained home visiting program for two years is undertaken. It is estimated that 15% of the families with new babies each year will be identified as being able to benefit from the 2-year program.
This paper will firstly outline the project and its aims, the population health rationale and supporting research for use of nurse home visitors rather than social workers of other professionals in the project. It will then discuss the social work contribution to the process, in an organization which had been largely nursing based at the beginning. Factors discussed will include, the development of nurse-social worker partnership relationships, social workers as trainers for the social assessment and parent-nurse relationship building, social workers as facilitators in the case conferencing process and as clinicians to the families around identified social health factors. Early evaluation of outcomes will be discussed, including the perspectives of parents, nurses and social workers.