We're here for healthy babies.
When you give to Proof Alliance, you give help and hope to families.
With your support, we are accelerating our impact by shifting from model to movement. Your continued commitment to this work makes it possible for people all over the United States to access Proof Alliance’s gold-standard FASD support and prevention programs. Following a ‘Model to Movement’ vision, Proof Alliance is setting the stage to expand the reach and impact of our programs strategically.
We are Proof Alliance.
Since 1998, we’ve delivered hands-on hope to those with an FASD and awareness and education to pregnant individuals.
The proof is unchallenged; prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to lifelong physical and mental disabilities. We at Proof Alliance are undaunted in our mission to help these individuals and their families thrive. We partner, collaborate and advocate for greater funding of services, further development of awareness, and an FASD-informed future. Your support is proof that better is possible.
Mission
To prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and to support all impacted throughout Minnesota and beyond
Vision
A world in which alcohol is not consumed during pregnancy and people living with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are identified, supported and valued.
A Message from Board President, Jessica Larscheid
“With your support, we’re making a strategic shift from a model to a movement. By scaling Proof Alliance’s support and prevention programs, more families from all over the United States will have access to the specialized care they need and deserve, and we can raise greater awareness about the importance of alcohol-free pregnancies.“
Activating Hope, Taking Action
Since 1998, Proof Alliance has been the best-in-class resource for families and individuals with an FASD. We provide ongoing support and resources through one-on-one interactions, in-person and virtual support groups, virtual social events and online forums.
2022 By the Numbers:
- 96: the number of caregivers we provided care and support to
- 47: the number of new members to join the Virtual Family Center
- Our effective intervention and support programming for youth with an FASD continues to remain a trusted resource within the community with excellent retention rates. This programming includes social and recreational activities, support and skill building, youth leadership activities, and hands-on educational experiences.
- For our professional education training, we continues to expand trainings to several priority populations. An example is a partnership with the MN Department of Corrections, through which we trained 190 corretions officers in the state. We presented at 5 conferences and launched our ProofCON Pro series of virtual trainings. Our program by and for indigenous communities, Our Children Are Sacred, launched officially in 2022 with the release of a smartphone/tablet app and a series of PSAs that ran in native communities. Year after year, our work results in more education and awareness, more alcohol-free pregnancies, more babies born without prenatal alcohol exposure, more care and support for impacted families, and more engagement, hope and action across Minnesota communities.
Public Support and Intervention
In 2022, we reached thousands of people through our community grants program. Grants were made through the College Ambassador Program, Native American FASD prevention work, Education Equity program, and our Long-Term Recovery program. The College Ambassador Program grants engage and empower college students to inform their peers about prenatal alcohol exposure. This year, six schools participated and reached 9,809 students on 8 campuses. There were 4 Native American grantees: Division of Indian Work, Minneapolis American Indian Center, Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center, and Native American Community Clinic. Each grantee is responsible for providing culturally informed FASD prevention or support work. There was one Education Equity grantee: Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS). SMRLS provides consultation, legal advice, legal representation, and brief service for Minnesota families with children that have a known or suspected FASD to ensure that their education rights are met. In addition to providing these services to families in 33 counties, they are working with the Proof Alliance team to create a stronger social media presence to increase awareness of education rights, services, and supports. We partnered with three orgranizations – Avivo, Family Service Rochester, and Wayside Recovery – to provide recovery support for women who are pregnant and/or parenting so that they and their families can stabilize and thrive.
Health Systems Work
Through our SAFEST Choice Learning Collaborative partnership with Boston Medical Center, we reached x individuals in y clinics in the Upper Midwest and New England Regions. The program utlizes Extension for Community Health Outcomes (ECHO) training to train clinic staff involved in implementation of FASD prevention and care. The FASD Diagnostic Clinic continues to be a place where future medical professionals can learn about and practice FASD diagnostic evaluations, preparing them to be able to carry on these skills into their next career path. The clinic contracted with a post-doctoral psychology fellow from the University of Minnesota. We also continue to enhance FASD diagnostic capacity in Minnesota through the FASD Diagnostic Consortium. The FASD Diagnostic Consortium provides an opportunity for all of the clinics in Minnesota that diagnose FASD to connect with each other and discuss standard practices, recommendation updates, and clinical advancements. To inform our work on screening in prenatal care, we partnered with ACET Inc. conduct a needs assessment to evaluate what is currently happening in Minnesota clinics in regards to screening for prenatal alcohol exposure during pregnancy. The report is titled Assessment of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Screening Practices in Minnesota Clinics.
Public Awareness
Through in-person and virtual programming, we reached 286,484 people with information about the devastating impacts of drinking during pregnancy. Our FASD Prevention Toolkit continued to help organizations easily share FASD prevention messaging. In 2022, 44 people used the FASD prevention toolkit. This toolkit is designed to share important public health information in a way that is non-stigmatizing and based on the best available research. The toolkit includes a recorded webinar, a comprehensive statistics sheet, language guidelines and several fact sheets.
Board of Directors
Adrienne Oesterle
President ,
Retired Cardiovascular Clinical Nurse Specialist
Julie Rossman
Secretary ,
Parent to Individual with an FASD
Ted Chien
Treasurer ,
President and CEO, SullivanCotter, Inc.
Lynne Redleaf
President, Lynne & Andrew Redleaf Foundation
Ashley Booker
VP of Community Education & Engagement, Planned Parenthood North Central States
Mary Gilbert Lawrence, M.D.
Director, Lawrence Family Foundation
Sara Crotteau
Child Protection Social Worker in the Indian Child Welfare Act Unit Hennepin County
Senka Hadzic, MPH
Program Manager, Stratis Health
Eric Gonzaga
Partner, Compensation & Benefits Counseling, Grant Thornton
Bill Ludwig
Parent to Individual with an FASD Liquor Store Manager, Paynesville Municipal Liquor Store Representative, MMBA
Anne McKeig
Associate Justice, Minnesota Supreme Court
Jessica Larscheid
Director of HealthPartners OB/GYN, Urology, Urogynecology and Sexual Medicine
Jordan Narvey
Digital Project Manager, Fjorge Digital
Hutton Phillips
Chicago Public School Foundation; Co-Chair, We Day Minnesota; Philanthropist
Mark Wentworth
VP of Quality & Performance Improvement, United Healthcare Government
Sari Witzke, M.D.
Physician, OB-GYN, Park Nicollet
Thank you to all 2022 donors!
You make it possible!
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More info:
Ways to Give
Proof Alliance has several ways you can make a contribution. Find our all of our ways to give below.
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The Proof Alliance Mission
To prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and to support all impacted throughout Minnesota and beyond
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Board of Directors
The Proof Alliance Board is comprised of 15 members from diverse backgrounds in Minnesota.
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