Beyond the Stigma: Residential recovery centers offer refuge to NH moms struggling with addiction

Latin American women in San Francisco have suffered from post-partum depression, social isolation, and chronic stress at the time of their pregnancies. Run by midwives, the Centering Pregnancy program at the San Francisco General Hospital provides patient-centered care, an environment to speak in Spanish, and a nurturing community for women’s group appointments. The results boast fewer c-sections and pre-term births, and an improvement in emotional support and overall prenatal health.

In some D.C. neighborhoods with high rates of teen pregnancy, schools are stepping in with more than just school nurses; dedicated midwives have conversations with students, educating students, providing birth control, and supporting teens who have had children and continued with high school. The informal advice and constant presence in schools mean the midwives can reach students who might not have reached out otherwise, ultimately helping to prevent teen pregnancies and build healthier families.

Building connections and learning to cope can help to break the inter-generational cycle of addiction. The nonprofit Eluna operates a camp in Dayton, Ohio, for children whose families have been ravaged by addiction. In addition to receiving the support of adult mentors, the children also engage in activities designed to teach them skills to manage their emotions. With funding from government subventions and private donations, Eluna plans to open several more camps nationwide.

New Mexico has been fighting the rise of the opioid epidemic for decades, so when medical professionals noticed an increase in opioid-dependent mothers giving birth, one doctor started a new program to address this. This program uses both medication-assisted substance abuse treatment and behavioral therapy, and has resulted in a decrease in overdose deaths.

For people addicted to opioids, the battle isn't always just quitting the drug use but also navigating the other areas in their life that led to the drug use in the first place. To address this, a community in Washington uses youth drug prevention science that is based around teaching protective factors such as enhanced communication and ways to decrease isolation.

A town in West Virginia was lacking resources for mental health care, so high school juniors were tapped to fill the need. Learning skills such as how to use naloxone to in an overdose situation to asking open-ended questions to intervene in a crisis, the students walked away from a “life & recovery coach academy” equipped with usable skills, college credits, and a certificate, while also reentering their community as more engaged citizens.

Named after his daughter who overdosed, a former narcotics police officer created Brooke's House, a women's treatment facility in Maryland. Combining methodologies and using multiple approaches, the program works to help residents achieve sobriety through counseling and treatment.

Two regions within Kenya, Mandera and Isiolo, have made significant strides in reducing their rate of maternal mortality cases. Both counties employed similar tactics, such as improving facility quality, increasing the number of healthcare workers, and training local community volunteers to advocate for ante-natal care. Among other metrics, Mandera now records 588 deaths per 100,000 live births (down from 3,795), and Isiolo now has 57 facilities (up from 47) to make healthcare more accessible.

The Nurse-Family Partnership pairs low-income, first-time parents with a personal nurse from pregnancy through their child's second birthday. The Partnership serves 56,000 families each year, and works to help improve pregnancy outcomes for both parents and their babies through early education, access to care and helping to empower parents to get the care they need.

The MYENJAY Hope and Healing Foundation provides mental health awareness and sensitization efforts regarding substance use among young students. Volunteers from the program visit schools to talk to students, providing interventions and educational resources to help them understand the dangers of drug use. School officials say that since the program began talking with students, they have seen a significant increase in good behavior and a reduction in substance use.