When babies are born to drug-addicted mothers, the baby is addicted as well. Children who live with drug-addicted mothers often suffer from neglect, abuse, poor nutrition and hygiene, school problems and more. But many addicted mothers go untreated rather than have their children go into foster care or live with a relative. Hence, infants are born with drug addictions and children continue to live with a drug-addicted mother.

The Family Works program is four to six months long and offers apartment- or dormatory-style living with treatment on site. The innovative aspect of the program is that it combines both substance abuse/mental health services with parenting, child care, domestic violence education, vocational training, health care, budgeting, nutrition, etc. Masters-level therapists provide individual, group and family counseling. Children attend daycare or school while mothers participate in treatment. The women are supported by 24-hour awake staff. There is no fee to the client–fees are collected from insurance or state funding.

“Family Works is unique in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area. It is more effective than substance abuse treatment alone because it of its dual focus. Not only do we help moms become successful in their recovery, but also in their families,” said Heather Bird, Omaha Family Works program director. “The woman’s likelihood of long-term sobriety increases when her own family relationships are repaired and when she is strengthened with new skills in parenting and independent living. The best things are that babies are born drug-free, families stay together, mothers get sober and foster care is avoided.”

For information on the Omaha program, call (402) 342-9555. Call (712) 435-5380 to learn more about the program in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Watch Zabrina’s story.