Lotus house: expanding a family-centered continuum of care for pregnant and postpartum women in southern indiana

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded Family Ark, Inc. $524,432 on September 30, 2026, to expand family-centered substance use disorder treatment for pregnant, postpartum, and parenting women in southern Indiana under the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Projects of Regional and National Significance program.

Family Ark will implement ASAM Level 3.5 clinically managed high-intensity residential treatment integrated with existing outpatient, intensive outpatient, recovery housing, and peer recovery support services. The program serves pregnant and parenting women and their dependent children across Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Scott, and Washington Counties, including three HRSA-designated rural counties, with place of performance in Watson, Indiana. The expansion addresses a critical regional gap by enabling mothers to receive treatment while remaining with their children and serving women whose residential treatment is not otherwise reimbursed through the Indiana Department of Child Services.

The project will increase timely access through targeted rural outreach and coordinated referral partnerships with healthcare providers, child welfare agencies, criminal justice partners, and community organizations. All enrolled women and their children will receive comprehensive screening and assessment, individualized treatment planning, care coordination, and access to medical, behavioral health, developmental, and social services. The project will serve approximately 30–35 unduplicated women annually (155 over five years) with their dependent children.

Period of performance runs from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2031.

Family ARK's lotus house will expand access to comprehensive, family-centered substance use disorder (SUD) treatment for pregnant, postpartum, and parenting women and their dependent children in southern indiana. Building upon an established program, the project will add asam level 3.5 clinically managed high-intensity residential services to an existing continuum that includes outpatient treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, recovery housing, peer recovery support, and coordinated family services. The project addresses a critical regional GAP by enabling mothers to receive treatment while remaining with their children, expanding access to family-centered residential care in rural communities where these services are unavailable, and serving pregnant and parenting women whose residential treatment is not otherwise reimbursed through the indiana department of child services (DCS). Family ARK serves clark, floyd, harrison, scott, and washington counties, including three hrsa-designated rural counties. The project will serve approximately 30-35 unduplicated women annually (155 over five years), along with their dependent children. The project will: (1) implement asam level 3.5 residential treatment integrated with existing outpatient, intensive outpatient, recovery housing, and recovery support services; (2) increase timely access through targeted rural outreach and coordinated referral partnerships with healthcare providers, child welfare agencies, criminal justice partners, and community organizations; (3) ensure 100 percent of enrolled women and their children receive comprehensive screening and assessment, individualized treatment planning, care coordination, and access to needed medical, behavioral health, developmental, and social services; (4) provide individualized recovery support and transition planning for 100 percent of participants to promote successful community reintegration; and (5) strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration and continuous quality improvement through independent evaluation to improve treatment engagement, recovery outcomes, family preservation, and long-term recovery.