A Collaborative Approach to the Treatment of Pregnant Women With Opioid Use Disorders: Practice and Policy Considerations for Child Welfare, Collaborating Medical, and Service Providers

SAMHSA, in collaboration with the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, developed this guide promoting collaborative efforts among agencies and providers serving pregnant and postpartum women with opioid dependence and their infants. This publication includes an overview of the extent of opioid use by pregnant women and evidence-based recommendations for treatment approaches from leading professional organizations.

Opioid Use Disorders and Medication-Assisted Treatment

young woman sitting with hands clasped talking to a counselor

The rate of opioid misuse and dependence is escalating in many communities, including amongst pregnant and parenting women. In addition, substance use treatment systems are reporting increases in the number of individuals seeking treatment for opioid use disorders. Child welfare systems are reporting increases in caseloads, primarily among infants and young children coming into care and hospitals are reporting increases of infants born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. A coordinated, multi-systemic approach that is grounded in early identification and intervention can assist child welfare and treatment systems in conducting both a comprehensive assessment and ensuring access to the range of services needed by families. Collaborative planning and implementation of services are yielding promising results in communities across the country.

New Resource! A Collaborative Approach to the Treatment of Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorders: Practice and Policy Considerations for Child Welfare, Collaborating Medical, and Service Providers. Contact us at ncsacw@cffutures.org for more information.

This publication provides:

An overview of the extent of opioid use by pregnant women and the effects on the infant
Evidence-based recommendations for treatment approaches from leading professional organizations
An in-depth case study, including ideas that can be adopted and adapted by other jurisdictions
A guide for collaborative planning, including needs and gaps analysis tools for priority setting and action planning

Additional Resources

This webpage describes resources on best practices in the treatment of opioid use disorders and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). Resources are categorized into the following seven sections:

Each section includes a list of publications, webinars and videos, and recent research studies. These resource lists are not comprehensive but are the most pertinent resources used to answer many of the technical assistance questions that the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare receives on this topic.