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Understanding Behavioral Health And Treatment Engagement With Former Users Of Prenatal Substances: A Strengths-Focused Mixed Methods Inquiry, Jennifer G. Benson, Peggy Maclean, Andrew Hsi, Sarah J. Erickson

Psychology ETDs

Accessible services for users of prenatal substances are lacking, and treatment engagement is poor with services that are available. Furthermore, legal consequences are often punitive, which ultimately damages the well-being of mother and child. Milagro and FOCUS are two New Mexico programs that provide comprehensive, coordinated care, including medication-assisted treatment, to former users of prenatal substances during pregnancy (in the Milagro Program) and for three years post-birth (in the FOCUS Program). This mixed methods study explored the lived experiences of women from this complex, high-risk population, using a high-engagement sample of women who utilized services at both Milagro and FOCUS. …