Cross Agency Training to Promote Integrated Care for Substance Exposed Newborns

Abstract

Substance using pregnant women who give birth to substance-exposed newborns present multiple challenges for providers and public health. Developing a more integrated, comprehensive, and responsive system of care is critical to address their multiple needs and support multiple provider involvement. Using an implementation science approach, we enlisted input from a multidisciplinary group of professionals, leadership from three state agencies, and focus group discussions with stakeholders and women substance users to create, pilot, and implement a hybrid online and in-person Substance Exposed Newborns (SEN) training program. Goals included providing science-based knowledge, skills, and best practices to meet the needs of substance exposed mothers and children including neurobiology of addiction, stigma reduction, trauma informed care, motivational communication and effective referral and treatment. The ultimate goal was to create a more integrated and collaborative approach among maternal and child care providers that can promote recovery, effective parental bonding and child care, address substance induced child development challenges, and promote family wellbeing. Training of these professionals was successfully piloted and implemented with six regional cohorts from three state agencies. Independent evaluation data indicated high satisfaction ratings, significant pre- to post increases in knowledge and self-efficacy to provide care, and intentions to increase inter-professional collaborations.