In partnership with the Navajo Nation (Fort Defiance and Tuba City) and the White Mountain Apache and San Carlos Apache communities, we are conducting a long-term follow-up study to assess long-term mental health and substance use outcomes for mothers and their children who participated in the Family Spirit home-visiting program between 2006-2011. This study presents a unique opportunity to see how families are doing 16 years after their participation in the program.
Background
Family Spirit is an evidence-based home visiting program designed for and with Native American communities. Family Spirit was developed and evaluated with three Tribal partners: the Navajo Nation (Fort Defiance and Tuba City), and the San Carlos Apache and White Mountain Apache communities. Following evaluation, the Family Spirit program has been replicated in dozens of communities across the United States, with training and implementation support from the Family Spirit National Office at Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health.
From 2006-2011, the Family Spirit evaluation study called “Cradling Our Future” enrolled 322 Native American expectant mothers and followed each participant until their child’s 3rd birthday. The study found that Family Spirit participants reported improved parenting knowledge, reduced parenting stress, reduced substance use, and reduced depressive symptoms. The children showed improved social, emotional, and behavioral development.
Study Goals
The goal of this study is to reconnect with individuals who participated in the Cradling Our Future study to learn about Family Spirit’s long-term impacts on substance use and mental health outcomes for mothers and their adult children. Participants will be asked to complete a survey and an interview, and medical record reviews will also be conducted. The study results may help to advocate for more community-led, family-based, culturally grounded support programs for Native parents, such as the Family Spirit program.
Contact Information
Research Manager: Dr. Katie Nelson, knelso46@jhmi.edu
Principal Investigators / Project Directors
Dr. Allison Barlow, abarlow@jhu.edu
Dr. Novalene Goklish, ngoklis1@jhu.edu
Dr. Emily Haroz, eharoz1@jhu.edu
Navajo Nation IRB number: #NNR-24.501
Phoenix Area IRB number: #PXR-24.07