Recovery Coaches Reduce Babies Exposed to Drugs

For Women With Substance Abuse Problems

Pregnant women who are struggling with substance abuse problems may benefit from having a recovery coach - someone who will encourage them to get into treatment, stay in the program and return even if they relapse. The use of specially trained case workers, known as recovery coaches, for women who have given birth to substance abuse exposed children can reduce the number of future substance-exposed babies and increase the likelihood that mothers will be reunited with their children removed by child-welfare systems.

The practice can save states millions in foster-care and other placement costs, according to a University of Illinois study.

Babies Exposed to Drugs in the Womb

According to the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, about 11% of the 4 million children born in the United States each year have been exposed to alcohol or drugs in the womb. When these children are removed from the home by child protection agencies, they tend to stay in foster care longer than other children and are much less likely to be reunited with their parents.

These two factors make the cost of caring for and placing these children higher than other foster children.

It is also known that women who give birth to one substance-exposed child are much more likely to give birth to additional substance-exposed infants.

Women With Substance-Abuse Children

Joseph P. Ryan, of the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois, studied 931 women who had lost temporary custody of their children and who were chronic substance abusers. The families were assigned to two groups -- one receiving standard child-welfare and substance-abuse services, and another that also received the services of a recovery coach.

The recovery coaches are case workers with special training in addiction, relapse prevention, case management and counseling. During the study, these coaches were focused on getting the mothers into substance-abuse treatment and keeping them there.

They accomplished this by visiting the mothers face-to-face in their homes and at treatment facilities. If a mother relapsed or dropped out of the program, the coach would help get her back into treatment and help her meet the requirements to regain custody of her children.

Reducing the Number of Exposed Babies

At the conclusion of the five-year study with the recovery coaches, the research found:

• Only 15% of mothers with coaches gave birth to subsequent substance-abuse children.

• 21% of mothers receiving standard services, without the coaches, gave birth to additional substance-abuse babies.

• Mothers with coaches were more likely to regain custody of their children.

• The recovery coaches saved the state of Illinois $5.5 million in foster care and other placement costs.

Managing Multiple Child Welfare Problems

The researchers admit that the use of recovery coaches targets only one of several problems that a family involved in the child welfare system may be facing. Many times mental illness, lack of housing, unemployment and domestic violence may be involved. It is not realistic to expect one case worker to manage all of those kinds of problems.

"No single intervention is going to solve the complex array of problems that these families encounter," said lead researcher Ryan in a news release. "But if we chip away at it -- increase reunification rates, close out foster-care placements at a higher rate, decrease the likelihood of additional substance-exposed infants -- it produces gains for families and for the state."

_{Source:
Ryan, J.P., et al. " Recovery coaches and substance exposed births: An experiment in child welfare." Child Abuse & Neglect 25 Nov. 2008.}