Project Grant H79TI084739

MENDING HEARTS PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN (PPW) GRANT 2022 - THE MENDING RAINBOWS PROJECT IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT DESIGNED TO CREATE TWO YEARS OF CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE AND GENDER SPECIFIC SUPPORT SERVICES FOR PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM MINORITY WOMEN, THEIR NEWBORNS, THEIR OTHER MINOR CHILDREN, AND THEIR SUPPORT TEAMS. THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BUILDS ON THE CAPACITY OF TWO ORGANIZATIONS WITH STRONG ROOTS IN THE MINORITY COMMUNITIES OF NASHVILLE. MENDING HEARTS, A COMMUNITY-BASED SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT CENTER FOR WOMEN WILL COMBINE THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH DELIVERING RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES WITH THE MEDICAL EXPERTISE OF THE RAINBOW PROGRAM, A SPECIALIZED UNIT FOR PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN OFFERING 90 DAYS OF RESIDENTIAL CARE WITHIN AN HBCU MEDICAL SCHOOL (MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE). THE PROJECT WILL FURTHER LEVERAGE THE MEHARRY SYSTEM TO MEET THE MEDICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC NEEDS OF THE ENTIRE FAMILY SYSTEM WITH THE STRENGTHS OF A GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, (MY FATHER'S HOUSE) THAT WILL PROVIDE CULTURALLY FOCUSED RECOVERY SUPPORT, EMPLOYMENT, AND FATHERHOOD SERVICES FOR FATHERS AND PARTNERS. ADDITIONAL COUNSELING SERVICES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE FAMILIES THROUGH THE INVOLVEMENT OF LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY'S SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK. THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE SERVICES FOR UP TO TWO YEARS FROM A CHRONIC CARE PERSPECTIVE AND SPECIFICALLY EXPAND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT CAPACITY WHILE ENHANCING TREATMENT SERVICES FOR LOW-INCOME AFRICAN AMERICAN AND OTHER MINORITY PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN WHO HAVE A HISTORY OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING TREATMENT SERVICES. WHILE THE PROJECT WILL SERVE ALL INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE GREATER NASHVILLE AREA, LOW-INCOME MINORITY WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILY SYSTEMS WILL BE TARGETED DUE TO HIGH LEVELS OF NEED AND LOW LEVELS OF SERVICE ACCESS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL EXPAND CAPACITY---ADDING FOUR ADDITIONAL BEDS WITHIN THE RAINBOW PROGRAM AND RE-OPENING A FACILITY ON THE MENDING HEARTS CAMPUS DESIGNED FOR WOMEN AND THEIR MINOR CHILDREN. PARTICIPANTS, THEIR CHILDREN, AND SUPPORT TEAMS WILL RECEIVE CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE, TRAUMA-INFORMED SERVICES TO FOCUSED ON ESTABLISHING A PATH TO RECOVERY FOR THE WHOLE SYSTEM. THE PROJECT'S OVERARCHING GOALS ARE TO: (1) IDENTIFY, ENGAGE, AND SUPPORT MINORITY PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN AND THEIR MINOR CHILDREN IN TREATMENT AND SUPPORT SERVICES NEEDED TO SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITION TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS; AND (2) SOLIDIFY AND AUGMENT THE SYSTEM OF CARE TO BETTER MEET THE SOCIAL SUPPORT NEEDS OF PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN WHO EXPERIENCE BARRIERS TO ENGAGEMENT IN SERVICES DUE TO A LACK OF CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE SERVICES. EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS INCLUDE TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE, MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENTS, GENDER-SPECIFIC CURRICULUM-BASED SERVICES WITH ALL INTERVENTIONS ROOTED IN THE SPIRIT OF MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING. ULTIMATELY, THE PROJECT WILL FORMALIZE AND EXPAND EXISTING COLLABORATIONS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES TO MAKE A MEASURABLE IMPACT ON ACCESS ISSUES THAT DRIVE HEALTH DISPARITIES THAT IMPACT MINORITY FAMILIES IN NASHVILLE. TO THIS END, 160 WOMEN AND 290 SUPPORT TEAM MEMBERS (INCLUDING CHILDREN) WILL BE SERVED DURING THE FIVE-YEAR PROJECT, 18 WOMEN DURING YEAR ONE, AND TWENTY-FOUR DURING EACH SUBSEQUENT YEAR.