Title and Population to be Served: Iowa's Choices for Women is the title for our project for the State Pilot Program for Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women (PPW-PLT). The Iowa's Choices for Women project will serve PPW in outpatient settings with a primary diagnosis of substance use disorder (SUD), as well as their families, including minor children under 17, fathers/parents and family members including adult children. Women presenting to SUD treatment in Iowa for state fiscal year (SFY) 2022 most frequently report the use of alcohol (56.9%), methamphetamines (43.2%), marijuana (48.3%) and opioids (11.4%). The most frequently reported substance use by pregnant women in Iowa in SFY22 included alcohol (34.8%), methamphetamines (66.0%), marijuana (52.8%) and opioids (13.5%). The most frequently reported substances used by postpartum women in Iowa in SFY22 included alcohol (37.1%), methamphetamines (60.3%), marijuana (60%) and opioids (11.4%). Please note that percentages may add up to more than 100% due to more than one substance being reported at admission.
Clients to be Served: A total of 250 pregnant and postpartum women will be served through this grant each year, for a total of 750 in three years. In addition, 325 children under 17 will be served and fathers/parents as well as family members will be included in this grant.
The purpose of the proposed project is to (1) support family-based services for pregnant and postpartum women with a primary diagnosis of SUD, emphasizing the treatment of opioid use diosrder (OUD); (2) expand and improve the continuum of care for pregnant and postpartum women with SUD at four SUD treatment programs, with an emphasis on helping individuals with OUD; and (30 promote a coordinated, effective and efficient state system managed by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) by identifying and developing new approaches and models of service delivery for PPW with SUD, their children, fathers/parenting partners and family members.
Iowa HHS as the Single State Agency for substance use services will build upon the experiences and knowledge of current contracted providers who deliver SUD treatment services under the Iowa Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Services (SUPTRS) Block Grant set-aside for pregnant and women with children. The project will accomplish the purposes outlined by expanding, broadening and improving prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery support services to pregnant and postpartum women as well as their children, fathers/parenting partners and family members. Iowa HHS will expand care coordination (with an emphasis on education regarding overdose prevention, naloxone and medications for SUD treatment), add additional evidence-based practices (EBPs) and improve existing EBPs through fidelity monitoring. Additionally, Iowa HHS will strengthen partnerships across systems through the program steering committee, the development of a needs assessment and a statewide strategic plan.