Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital

Early access to compassionate SUD/OUD care for pregnant people, adequate prenatal care, and continuation of SUD treatment postpartum are essential to decrease the severity and impact of NAS. Our program centers on the needs of childbearing people for a safe entry to care and a smooth transition from one level of care to another, supported by people in long term recovery from SUD/OUD as healthcare navigators, equipping navigators with the knowledge and skills to support postpartum mothers and infants with NAS, and bringing together people with lived experience, healthcare professionals, and community-based service providers to make sure that programs for families with SUD/OUD are responsive to the needs of the community. Key elements include: • Community outreach by Recovery Support Workers to increase access to contraception and infectious disease testing for people of childbearing age with SUD/OUD. • Increasing the number of Ob/Gyn professionals who can screen, diagnose, and prescribe buprenorphine to treat OUD • Training Recovery Support Workers as Healthcare Navigators to reach out to pregnant people with SUD/OUD, assist them in enrolling in Medicaid if needed, and help them access prenatal care and treatment. • Train Recovery Support Workers to serve as Doulas to support postpartum mothers and infants, including trauma-informed breastfeeding support • Develop a dedicated hospital-based program to ensure pregnant people have immediate access to research-based care for SUD/OUD, including initiation of MOUD and detoxification from other substances as early as possible during pregnancy. • Work with Consortium members providing housing, family support, outpatient and SUD/OUD treatment to build a system of care that is non-stigmatizing and meets the needs of families most severely impacted by SUD/OUD. • Work with state Medicaid programs to improve the sustainability of comprehensive services for families impacted by SUD/OUD.