August 9, 2023

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Maryland Department of Health announces $2.7M over three years to support pregnant Marylanders in recovery

New funding helps women with opioid-use disorders transition to community life 

Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Department of Health today announced Strengthening Families in Recovery, a pilot program to support pregnant and parenting women recovering from substance and opioid use disorders. 

“Pregnant and postpartum Marylanders — and their families — deserve everything we can do to help them achieve lasting recovery,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Laura Herrera Scott. “This evidence-based, comprehensive model combines a family-strengthening program with support to address barriers that can so easily derail people on their recovery journey.”

In Maryland, nearly 30,000 women with children have substance use or opioid use disorders, according to the National Survey of Drug Use and Health. This pilot program, which is slated to enroll 750 women, is funded by a three-year, $900,000 per year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This money will fund additional recovery support coordinators, pregnant parenting women navigators, and family support coaches to help enrolled women navigate administrative barriers.

Strengthening Families in Recovery will serve rural, suburban and urban communities, each struggling with high opioid rates and the compounding impact of addiction on families. 

The goals of the pilot project are to: 

1. Engage and enroll families in the Strengthening Families program so they can identify and build on evidence-based factors that support the whole family. 

2. Remove administrative barriers, such as criminal records through the expungement process. 

3. Help women navigate and resolve issues such as negative credit histories, outstanding financial debt, access to benefits like food stamps and getting job ready. 

Strengthening Families in Recovery will be offered in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Prince George's County, Washington County and Worcester County.

Learn more at health.maryland.gov/bha or strengtheningfamiliesprogram.org.

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The Maryland Department of Health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health and safety of all Marylanders through disease prevention, access to care, quality management and community engagement.