Substance use disorder doula support initiative (suddsi) - the kentucky department for behavioral health, developmental and intellectual disabilities (dbhdid), the state mental health authority and…

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities $1,079,361 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.490) to implement the Substance Use Disorder Doula Support Initiative in Kentucky.

SUDDSI will integrate specialized substance use disorder doula services into Kentucky's existing KY MOMS Maternal and Reproductive Health Model to improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorders, including those receiving medications for opioid use disorder, experiencing co-occurring mental health conditions and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and facing barriers to treatment engagement. Substance Use Disorder Doulas will provide recovery coaching, treatment engagement and retention support, recovery planning, medication for opioid use disorder care coordination, overdose prevention education, prenatal and parenting education, tobacco cessation support, behavioral health navigation, and linkage to healthcare and social services. The project will develop a specialized workforce pathway utilizing trained recovery peer support specialists, strengthen Kentucky's behavioral health workforce, and create a scalable model for statewide expansion.

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services is the recipient. The project is implemented in partnership with Pathways, Inc. and River Valley Behavioral Health, serving 17 rural counties across Eastern and Western Kentucky, including numerous federally designated health professional shortage areas, medically underserved communities, and maternity care deserts.

The award period runs through September 29, 2029, with place of performance in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Substance use disorder doula support initiative (suddsi) - the kentucky department for behavioral health, developmental and intellectual disabilities (dbhdid), the state mental health authority and single state authority for substance use disorder services, proposes to implement the substance use disorder doula support initiative (suddsi) to improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women (PPW) with substance use disorders (SUD), including those receiving medications for opioid use disorder (moud), experiencing CO-occurring mental health conditions and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (pmads), and facing barriers to treatment engagement and recovery. The project will be implemented in partnership with pathways, INC. And river valley behavioral health, serving 17 rural counties across eastern and western kentucky, including numerous federally designated health professional shortage areas (hpsas), medically underserved communities, and maternity care deserts, creating a scalable model for statewide expansion. Kentucky continues to experience significant maternal and infant health disparities. In 2024, 741 infants were diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), and substance use contributed to 51% of maternal deaths according to kentucky maternal mortality review data. Suddsi will address these challenges by integrating specialized SUD doula services into kentucky's existing KY moms matr model and expanding access to recovery-oriented, trauma-informed supports throughout pregnancy and the first year postpartum. The project will strengthen kentucky's behavioral health workforce by developing a specialized SUD doula workforce pathway utilizing trained recovery peer support specialists. SUD doulas will provide recovery coaching, treatment engagement and retention support, recovery planning, moud care coordination, overdose prevention education, prenatal and parenting education, tobacco cessation support, behavioral health navigation, and linkage to healthcare and community-based services. Participants and their families will also benefit from family-centered education, recovery support planning, screening and referral for pmads, and coordinated connections to behavioral health, maternal healthcare, and recovery support services. Consistent with dbhdid's implementation practice framework, the project will utilize implementation science, continuous quality improvement, fidelity monitoring, workforce development, and strategic partnerships with community mental health centers, healthcare providers, medicaid and managed care organizations, and community-based recovery organizations to support sustainability and statewide replication. Over the three-year project period, kentucky will serve 600 pregnant and postpartum women with SUD and their families, improve engagement and retention in treatment and recovery support services, strengthen maternal and infant outcomes, reduce overdose and suicide risk, and establish a sustainable SUD doula workforce model that advances equitable, recovery-oriented care for women and families affected by substance use disorders.