These monthly skills integration meetings build on the Weave West Virginia training series webinars. This monthly series provides technical assistance for providers via applied learning, practical strategies, and resource sharing to create survivor-centered and trauma-informed organizations.

Presenters: Laurie Thompsen, MSW and Gabriela Zapata-Alma, LCSW (IL), CADC (IL)

These monthly skills integration meetings build on the Weave West Virginia training series webinars, which offered a framework for understanding the intersections of substance use, domestic violence, and substance use coercion with a particular focus on pregnant and parenting people. This new monthly series will provide technical assistance for providers via applied learning, practical strategies, and resource sharing to create survivor-centered and trauma-informed organizations.

Register Here

From West Virginia Watch,

“A new pilot program hopes to expand mental health support for hundreds of pregnant women with substance use disorder in West Virginia.

Mental health challenges are a major issue facing women served by the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership’s Drug Free Moms and Babies Program, according to Janine Breyel, the organization’s deputy director.

West Virginia faces critical shortages of both maternity care and mental health care. The state leads the nation in the rate of babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome.

WVPP announced on Wednesday that it received a $110,000 grant to examine the use of the Moodr Digital Healthcare Solution, a product from a Morgantown-based tech startup designed to assist health care providers in proactively addressing, treating and evaluating mental health challenges. 

“We are optimistic that this tool will help expand the reach and effectiveness of our program resulting in improved health outcomes for mothers and babies affected by substance use,” Breyel said.

The platform will allow for better follow-up and monitoring of patients, she added…”

Read the full article here.

Press Release from West Virginia Department of Human Services:

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS) is reminding women that treatment for substance use disorder is available to support healthy pregnancies and reduce the risk of preterm births during Prematurity Awareness Month. Preterm birth, defined as the birth of a baby before 37 weeks of pregnancy, affects approximately 12.98% of births in West Virginia. The final weeks of pregnancy are crucial for fetal development, and premature birth can increase the likelihood of health complications for both mothers and babies.

“Substance use during pregnancy is a significant risk factor for preterm birth, but the good news is that treatment is available,” said Christina Mullins, DoHS Deputy Secretary of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders. “Through programs like Drug Free Moms and Babies and residential treatment services, we can help expectant mothers achieve healthier pregnancies, reducing risks associated with substance use.”

In 2022, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) impacted 6.7% of births in the state, and 8.8% of pregnancies were impacted by intrauterine substance exposure (IUSE). While NAS rates have decreased since 2017, IUSE rates have continued to rise, consistent with national data and is potentially reflective of increasing access to treatment medications. Pregnant women struggling with substance use can take steps to reduce their risk of preterm birth and improve their overall health through access to medical care and behavioral health treatment.

The Drug Free Moms and Babies (DFMB) program, funded by DoHS and administered by the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership, is a statewide initiative that integrates medical and behavioral health care with comprehensive recovery support services. The program has proven successful, with 74.9% of participants testing positive for substance use at baseline and 64.2% testing negative at delivery.

Additionally, West Virginia offers residential treatment programs across the state that specialize in the care of pregnant women, mothers, and their children, providing a safe environment for recovery. These programs are available in Cabell, Fayette, Kanawha, and Wood counties, and accept women from across the state.

Home visitation programs help pregnant women and parents of young children improve the health and well-being for themselves and their families. They are a valuable resource available at no-cost to families from pregnancy through age five. These programs include evidence-based models, such as Parents as TeachersHealthy Families America, and the statewide program Right From The Start (RFTS), all providing critical support to new and expecting mothers. 

Women in need of treatment can call HELP4WV at 1-844-HELP4-WV for immediate assistance locating a program near them. 

For more information on behavioral health resources, visit dhhr.wv.gov/BBH/about/Adult%20Services/Pages/Comprehensive-Behavioral-Health-Centers.aspx.  

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WEST VIRGINIA, March 8 — With the support of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health, the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health will partner with agencies across the state to launch Weave West Virginia: Weaving Together Communities of Support for People Experiencing Substance Use and Domestic Violence.

Weave West Virginia addresses the oft-overlooked intersection of intimate partner violence and substance use disorder, particularly for pregnant and postpartum people. Intimate partner violence, including substance use coercion, is a major barrier to healthcare and social services that often prevents survivors from seeking support. This project will respond to the issue by building upon West Virginia’s existing statewide networks and training front-line providers on how to effectively serve this population.

In order to achieve its goals, the project will build on the leadership and expertise of partner agencies across West Virginia including the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ Bureau for Behavioral Health, the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership, and the Marshall University Research Corporation’s West Virginia Behavioral Health Workforce and Health Equity Training Center, and the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health to increase access to and coordinate services between substance use disorder treatment services, domestic violence advocates, and healthcare providers.

“Weave West Virginia is a partnership deeply connected to West Virginians” said Dr. Jeffrey Coben, Interim Cabinet Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. “Safety and support are crucial to the affected population and this initiative is an embodiment of West Virginia communities coming together to weave a strong, connected system of support where community is at the core.”

The need for integrated networks that address the needs of individuals experiencing both intimate partner violence and substance use disorder is by no means limited to West Virginia. Weave West Virginia’s learnings will provide a model for other states to improve the health of pregnant and postpartum people across the country.

Learn more about WVPP’s substance use disorder efforts by clicking here.

By Amelia Ferrell Knisely Staff writer  |  Nov 13, 2019  | Read Original Story at The Gazette Mail

West Virginia holds the nation’s largest share of children who will face devastating, lifelong consequences linked to the opioid crisis, new data shows.

The report, released Wednesday by a New York nonprofit, said 54 out of every 1,000 children in West Virginia were affected by opioid use in 2017.

The state’s figure is at least twice the rate of 17 other states, including those with much larger populations.

The children, most under the age of 12, are more likely to develop an alcohol or drug disorder, more likely to need special education and are 70 times more likely to be obese.

The opioid crisis will likely cost the state $4 billion in services for children affected by the epidemic, the study said.

Money will go toward hospitalization, depression counseling and the criminal justice system — all outcomes associated with children who have a parent with opioid use disorder.

United Hospital Fund, a nonprofit health system, and the Boston Consulting Group are behind the report, which paints an alarming picture of the devastating effects of the opioid crisis on children nationwide. The group studied Americans under age 18.

Researchers said that although the opioid crisis is the deadliest drug epidemic in the country’s history, its long-lasting effects on children have received little attention.

Their research found 2.8 percent of the 74 million children in 2017 were directly affected by parental opioid use or their own use.

“If current trends continue, the number of children affected nationwide by opioid use will rise to an estimated 4.3 million by 2030, and the cumulative lifetime cost will reach $400 billion in additional spending on health care, special education, child welfare and criminal justice,” a release about the report said.

For comparison, the data showed that 1.8 million children have been diagnosed with autism.

The data also shows that:

240,000 children in 2017 had a parent die from an opioid overdose;
1.4 million children have a parent living with opioid use disorder;
170,000 children have an opioid use disorder themselves or have accidentally ingested opioids.

Researchers also looked at the effect of opioid use on states’ foster care systems. The number of children in West Virginia’s foster care system — around 7,000 — has grown in correlation with the opioid epidemic. The state has the highest number per-capita of children in state custody.

A class-action federal lawsuit filed in October claims West Virginia has failed to protect children in its care, alleging rampant issues with overburdened case workers, out-of-state children’s facilities and failure to prepare foster children for adulthood.

The study noted that, despite signs the opioid epidemic had hit an inflection point, the crisis is far from over.

Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released earlier this year showed the national fatal overdose rate had dropped by 5 percent in 2018, the first dip since 1990. The CDC attributed the dip largely to decreases in heroin and prescription opioid overdoses.

UHF included solutions in its report, including creating protocols for emergency responders to connect with children on scene and reducing the stigma of opioid use among people interacting with pregnant women and parents.

“This report shines a light on a population affected by opioids that is often hidden from view,”Suzanne Brundage, director of UHF’s Children’s Health Initiative and study co-author, said. “But these estimates should not cause despair. Instead, they highlight the urgent need to take action now to help these children and their families.”

California has the largest number of children affected by the opioid epidemic, and the state is projected to face a cost of $36 billion for services and care for those children. However, the state’s rate of children affected — 20 per 1,000 children — is still lower than West Virginia’s rate.

pregnant womanBy Wendy Holdren Register-Herald Reporter
See the Original Article

In a recent study examining the safety of addiction treatment medications, West Virginia University faculty found that Suboxone may be safer for pregnant women and their babies than methadone or Subutex.

Faculty members Laura Lander and Patrick Marshalek examined the medical records of 26 pregnant women who were prescribed Suboxone, a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone, to treat their opioid use disorder.

While some medications used to treat opioid use disorder can be misused, Lander and Mashalek said Suboxone is different.

“The naloxone discourages misuse as it is activated if an individual attempts to inject the medication,” said Laura Lander, West Virginia University Social Work Section chief and associate professor in the WVU School of Medicine.

The activation, she said, isn’t pleasant.

“Misuse of this medication could make you start to feel sick, or even go into withdrawal,” explained Patrick Marshalek, a psychiatrist and clinical associate professor in WVU’s School of Medicine and the medical director of WVU’s Chestnut Ridge Center.

The 26 women in the study were participating in the Chestnut Ridge Center’s Comprehensive Opioid Addiction Treatment program.

The researchers also reviewed the medical records of the women’s newborn babies, including the newborns’ gestational age; weight, length and head circumference; Apgar score; duration of hospital stay; diagnosis of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome; and prescribed pharmacological treatment for withdrawal.

Their study, published in the American Journal on Addictions, found that babies exposed to Suboxone in utero fared as well as or better than babies exposed to more conventional addiction treatments, such as treatment with methadone or Subutex.

“It used to be, if you were pregnant, you would be prescribed methadone,” said Lander, who is also an addiction therapist at Chestnut Ridge Center.

A release said clinicians didn’t put Subutex into common use for treating pregnant, opioid-dependent women until a 2010 study by Hendree Jones, a co-researcher on the current project, indicated that babies whose mothers took Subutex while pregnant had a lower incidence of withdrawal. If they did have withdrawal, it tended to be milder and required a shorter hospital stay.

Lander and Marshalek hope their findings will make clinicians feel more comfortable prescribing Suboxone to their pregnant patients in treatment.

They hope to soon study how Suboxone and Subutex affect babies over the long term, even into childhood.

In the meantime, Lander and Marshalek are training health care practitioners across West Virginia to pharmacologically treat opioid dependence. These patients include opioid-dependent pregnant women, whom Lander called “the most stigmatized folks,” even by their own peers with substance use disorders.

Lander and Marshalek’s research indicates that Suboxone may be a safe option for helping these stigmatized women who, as Marshalek said, already “face additional barriers to care.”

Email: [email protected]