Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-Up (ABC) is a home-visiting parenting program, developed by Dr. Mary Dozier at the University of Delaware, to help caregivers nurture and respond sensitively to their infants and form strong and healthy relationships. ABC is an evidence-based parenting intervention for caregivers of infants and toddlers ages 6 - 24 months who have experienced trauma or adversity. South Carolina Infant Mental Health Association is leading efforts to make the ABC model more widely available throughout the Palmetto State. |
ABC is an evidence-based intervention program. Studies of children and caregivers that have participated in ABC have shown that:
ABC is endorsed by the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Coalition, the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Evidence-Based Practice Resource Center. |
| Ready to begin your ABC journey? Parents can begin the application process via phone (843) 472-4642 or online by filling out the intake form below. Agencies are welcome to make referrals for clients. Parental consent will be required prior to consultation. |
Interested in Becoming an ABC Parent Coach?
Parent coaches are the lifeblood of Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-Up as they expand our capacity to provide valuable services to parents of infants throughout South Carolina. We use an evidence-based half-hour screening process to predict the success individuals will have with ABC training. Interviews are conducted remotely with ABC staff from the University of Delaware. Initial ABC intervention training is comprised of four half-day virtual sessions. Training includes theoretical and practical orientation to the intervention, practice with "In the Moment" commenting and coding, session review, individualized consultation and planning for the supervision year. Supervision is conducted via video conferencing using a HIPPA-compliant software. ABC parent coaches-in-training have two supervision meetings per week: general clinical supervision (1 hour) and "In the Moment" commenting supervision (30 minutes). The time commitment for session preparation, visit and supervision is approximately four hours per case each week. | Upcoming Parent Coach Trainings TBD Screening interviews with staff from the University of Delaware will take place following the application deadline. COST Through generous support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, SCIMHA is able to subsidize the cost of training to become an ABC parent coach. The cost is $3,765 (down from $7,000) per participant. |
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SCIMHA is a 501(c)3 organization |
