Four-State FAS Consortium: model for program implementation and data collection.

The Four-State Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Consortium on the Studies of the Prevention of FAS is an effort to bring together resources, both human and material, across the states of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota to decrease the prevalence of births affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. Beginning in September 2000, the Consortium received 3 years of funding and operates through a cooperative agreement with funding from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Three primary objectives are addressed through the Consortium structure. These include: to develop and evaluate the formation of the Consortium itself; to develop an information base that systematizes data collection that helps determine populations and areas considered high risk; and to implement and test a scientific-based prevention/intervention model for women considered high risk of abusing alcohol during their childbearing years.