Healing Families, Together
The number one cause of preventable death among pregnant and postpartum women is drug overdose. For more than 25 years, we’ve faced this issue head on. Now in half a dozen states, our pioneering family-focused recovery program is successfully integrating family therapy and prenatal services with substance use treatment plans to keep families together.
Learn how VOA is breaking the cycle of addiction and building healthier communities by watching the video.
An Approach That Works
Across the country, women face a growing opioid crisis. children — and families — are suffering.
In the last decade, opioid use among women giving birth has quadrupled, resulting in skyrocketing rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). At the same time, the nation’s foster care system continues to be overwhelmed. According to the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, more than half of children under the age of one that are placed in out-of-home care is a result of a parent’s substance use disorder.
At VOA, we know mothers and children deserve better. Our unique, family-centric approach addresses how certain factors can lead to better outcomes, lower the risk of relapse, and decrease other drug-related and medical costs. In providing holistic services for moms and babies, we are reducing the number of newborns suffering from NAS and helping new moms maintain custody of their children.
At our family-centric treatment programs:
WOMEN will complete their treatment early in pregnancy, secure employment, education and stable housing.
NEWBORNS will be born full-term with limited drug exposure while in the mother’s custody.
CHILDREN will reside or be reunified with their mother.
Achieving High-Level Impact Coupled with Cost-Efficient Measures
Our Impact:
- Reduced number of kids placed in foster care
- Increased employment rate for recovering mothers
- Reduced rate of NAS births and NICU stays
- Reduced rate of maternal overdoses
- Prevention of HIV and other STIs
- Reduced incarceration rates
Our Cost-Savings:
- Fewer substance use disorder-related hospital costs for new moms
- Fewer NICU days for newborns
- Save on foster care costs for children
Leveraging VOA’s National Footprint
At our local offices, we are addressing the specific needs of the communities we serve. In understanding the need for family-focused recovery programs, VOA has successfully operated programs in five states: Georgia, Kentucky, Indiana, Oregon, and South Dakota.
The model is currently expanding into Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Virginia, with additional programs being added in Georgia and Kentucky.
26 YEARS STRONG
Family-Focused Recovery In Action
Freedom House
Louisville, KY
Since its creation in 1993, over 300 babies have been born drug-free to women at Freedom House, ensuring a healthy start to their lives. Additionally, 98% of respondents indicated they benefited from the services.
Addressing Inequity in Louisiana
New Orleans, LA
VOA and Humana researched the historic racial inequities in substance use disorder treatment programs. This cemented the importance of a culturally-responsive care framework.
Fresh Start Recovery Center
Columbus, OH
We continue to expand our services, most recently breaking ground on a new site in Ohio, where we have been committed to helping moms and babies heal together.
In the News
2024
- VOA Chesapeake and Carolinas Opens a New FFR Treatment Center in North Carolina
- VOA’s Partnership with Humana Healthy Horizons Increases Healthcare Access for Oklahomans
- VOA Identifies Gaps in Care for Black Women with Substance Use Disorder
- VOA Ohio & Indiana Opens Legacy Recovery House for Women Recovering from SUD and their Children
- VOA and Local Kentucky Judge Help Reunite Families Broken by Addiction
- VOA Mid-States Uses a Grant to Help Black Women Benefit from its Services
- VOA Fresh Start Recovery Center Partners with Early Learning Indiana Teachers to Help Moms in Recovery from Substance Use Disorder
2022
Resources
Directory of Family-Based Residential Substance Use Disorder
Treatment Programs for Parents with Children
The demand for residential treatment for parents with their children is expanding quickly. However, the number of licensed facilities for parents with children is growing slowly. This challenge is compounded by the lack of information about these facilities. With the support of the Annie. E. Casey Foundation, Volunteers of America, and Wilder Research, produced the national directory of family-based residential treatment programs.
Our Partners
Family-focused recovery would not be possible without the support of Humana and Quantified Ventures, two entities which have made it possible for VOA to expand family-centered treatment programs to meet the growing number of families in need.
Find Out More
Send our family-focused recovery team a message to learn more about our work or find out how you or your organization can get involved.
Family-Focused Recovery
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