PAR village. Specialized intervention for cocaine abusing women and their children.

Operation PAR in St. Petersburg received National Institute on Drug Abuse support in 1989 and state and local appropriations to establish PAR Village, a research demonstration program for treatment of cocaine abusing women with young children. Adjacent to PAR's residential therapeutic community, it includes 14 housing units and a day-care center for infants and children. Women live with their children while receiving long-term residential care. The program is being systematically evaluated by researchers from the University of South Florida Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine. Retention in treatment and post-discharge outcomes of the women are compared with those involved in the standard program where children remain in the community with relatives or are placed in foster care. Preliminary results suggest the demonstration program increases retention in treatment.