Substance Abuse Treatment Available for Pregnant Women
San Bernardino, CA (PRWEB) August 31, 2006
Women who are pregnant and abusing drugs have a safe place where they can be treated for their addictions.
Save the Babies, part of the Miracles in Recovery program, offers an intensive perinatal residential treatment program for 12 pregnant women.
“Pregnant women have special treatment needs,” said Beverly Smith,
Executive Director of Miracles in Recovery. “This program offers the specialized treatment they need, and makes sure they and their babies are off to a good start once the addiction is treated.”
These women will live with up to five others who are also pregnant and in treatment or recovery, in one of two homes maintained by Miracles in Recovery. These homes are licensed by the state, and are staffed 24 hours a day.
This service is the key component of Miracles in Recovery’s “Save the Babies” campaign. Women in the program will also receive prenatal care, and health care for them and their babies after the birth.
Many of the clients will be minority women. Miracles in Recovery is part of a consortium of social service and health care agencies working together to increase the number of African-American and Latino women receiving prenatal care, which will help decrease infant mortality and low birth weights.
“Our program gives pregnant women of every race and nationality the help they need to make sure their baby comes into the world healthy,” Smith said.
Besides making sure they and their babies are healthy, the pregnant women who are treated through Miracles in Recovery have access to resources they need to succeed in a drug-free lifestyle. This aspect of the program is similar to that offered at six transitional living homes operated by Miracles in Recovery.
The treatment program offers individual and group counseling, education about drug addiction and preventing relapses, 12-Step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings especially designed for pregnant women, parenting classes, life skills classes, yoga and health education, including stages of pregnancy and infant development. Former clients who are now living independently can also use most of these resources.
Pregnant women may stay in the treatment program until two months after the birth of their baby. After treatment, if they need additional help before living on their own, they can stay in one of Miracles in Recovery’s transitional living homes for women and children.
At that point, older children who were in the custody of Child Protective Services or the Department of Children’s Services can be re-united with them.
Several times a year, Miracles in Recovery offers social events for anyone who is a recovering drug addict. The next event they will take part in is the Fourth Annual Recovery Happens Walk, with other recovery programs and the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health, Alcohol and Drug Services.
Miracles in Recovery was established in 2001 with one transitional living residence. It has since grown to five homes, two for the pregnant women in recovery, and homes for men, women and women with children in transitional living.
For more information, call Miracles in Recovery at (909) 881-3555.
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