Annotation: The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Center for Excellence is a project of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) devoted to preventing and treating FASD. The center has congressional mandates to: 1) study innovative clinical interventions and service delivery improvement strategies; 2) identify communities with exemplary comprehensive systems of care; 3) provide technical assistance to communities without comprehensive systems of care; 4) provide training to individuals in various service systems dealing with persons and families affected by FASD; 5) develop innovative techniques to prevent alcohol use by women in childbearing years; and 6) perform other functions, to the extent authorized by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, after consideration of recommendations made by the National Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The Information Resource Center within the FASD Center for Excellence maintains an online database of selected journal articles, reports, books, and other materials to identify evidence-based information on FASD. The FASD Center also publishes special reports and provides public access (by appointment) to its Viewing Library located in Rockville, Maryland.
Keywords: Alcohol use during pregnancy, Alcohol abuse, Disorders, Drug affected children, Fetal alcohol effects, Fetal alcohol syndrome, Online databases, Preventive health services, Resource centers , Service delivery systems, Substance abuse prevention, Substance abuse treatment services, Technical assistance, Teratology