Pregnancy program receives grant to support new mothers with substance abuse disorder

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Hoosier state is set to broaden its Pregnancy Promise Program to support expectant and new mothers dealing with substance use disorders.

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration has been awarded a three-year, $2.7 million federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This funding will enable the program to assist an additional 300 pregnant Hoosiers over the next three years, with a focus on rural and under-resourced communities.

Since its launch in 2021, the Pregnancy Promise Program has helped over 900 mothers. Recent data from the Indiana Maternal Morality Review Committee highlights that substance use disorder and overdose remain the leading causes of maternal deaths in the state, according to a release.

The program has achieved significant outcomes, including high rates of sustained recovery, continuity of opioid use disorder medications, prevention of preterm births, healthy infant birth weights, and improved access to essential resources such as stable housing, transportation, food security, and child care, all contributing to family preservation and reunification.

Partnering with Indiana Medicaid managed care health plans, the program offers case management and care coordination services, providing participants with expert support from experienced nurses and social workers through Medicaid health plans.

The new grant aims to enhance services for pregnant and postpartum individuals with substance use disorders, remove barriers to outpatient treatment and recovery support, and foster a coordinated care system across healthcare and family support providers.

Initially funded by a five-year award from the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Innovation, the program will see the new grant take effect on Sept. 30, with the current funding period concluding on Dec. 31.