The main message is that NAS can be treated with medicine-based therapy and intervention. It’s best if mom and baby remain together. The baby must have “skin time” with its mother in order to recover. Lily’s Place employs social workers on the site to coordinate with state agencies and peer recovery counselors. They also offer parenting classes and family-centered nurseries. This allows for trauma-informed care for all family members. Mississippi currently has only two treatment facilities, with 44 beds. They are not intended to treat babies. Advocates argue that more work is required to integrate all stakeholders in the state, including grant funders, intervention programmes, safety nets, and insurance. Jan Dawson, Mississippi Public Health Initiative’s coordinator of the state opioid response grant, is here to help. She said that policy change is difficult and takes time. This was referring to the ever-increasing rates of opioid abuse and NAS diagnosis. Lily’s Place training reiterated that pregnant women suffering from substance abuse disorder should receive prenatal care and treatment. She also said that policies that separate mother and child hinder recovery. It can be difficult to link funds and responses because NAS treatment involves many stakeholders and agencies throughout the state, including Medicaid, Child Protection Services, and public health and mental departments. Dawson plans to use the Lily’s Place training for long-term coordination between state agencies. The Inform[H]er.
This roundup is a section of our monthly newsletter for women and girls, The Inform[H]er.