Pregnant and parenting women face many barriers to substance use treatment including stigma, transportation, childcare, and cost. The START program helps mothers overcome these barriers. START is CGE’s free, community-based home visitation and telehealth program for pregnant and postpartum mothers and their children. This 18-month program is staffed by licensed clinicians, community doulas, and peer recovery specialists, and an on-staff APN. Mothers and their children receive up to three in-home sessions per week, as well as supports including transportation, advocacy, and material support; all within our relationship-based, trauma responsive model of care. The START Together program brings these same services to families in collaboration with hospital systems, providing seamless care for pregnant and postpartum mothers in collaboration with OBGYN providers. Currently, START is available in partnership with Change RWJBH to RWJBarnabas Health For more information on integrating START Together into your healthcare system, contact Veronica, mailto:vfinlay@cge-nj.org START is available in: Coaching and mentoring with a certified peer recovery specialist provides the perspective and insight of someone living in recovery. Peers work closely with each family and their licensed therapist to assist in setting and reaching recovery goals. Peer recovery specialists are trained in Brazelton Touchpoints, an evidence-based relational health intervention. START’s unique focus on infant and early childhood relational health changes the trajectory of intergenerational patterns of substance use, starting with the relationship between mother and child. Licensed clinicians provide a minimum of one, one-hour session per week, offering client-centered interventions, guided by individualized treatment plans. Positive outcomes include long-term recovery and secure attachment between mother and infant. Child Parent Psychotherapy is one of the relationship-based approaches offered to families who have been impacted by trauma. START doula/case managers provide support and advocacy across all domains of life. During pregnancy, doulas help families create a birth plan and provide transportation to prenatal visits. Plans of safe care, co-created with families, intended to avoid removal of custody at birth. Families receive labor support and advocacy at the hospital, supporting a trauma-informed childbirth experience and bonding after birth. Services include lactation counseling, promoting a connected feeding experience for both bottle feeding and breastfeeding families. In-home postpartum sessions focus on physical and emotional care of the mother-baby dyad and support for infant sleep, feeding and soothing. Doulas help families access social determinants of health, ensuring that basic needs are met. START doulas are trained in Brazelton Newborn Behavioral Observation, an evidence-based intervention supporting relationship development between parents and their newborns. S.T.A.R.T. Angela Reina, MS, LAC, NCC Hunterdon, Middlesex, Morris and Somerset Counties: Essex, Hudson, Passaic, and Union Counties: “Because we visit mothers and children in their homes, we can better understand the systems around them, recognize their challenges, and build on their strengths.” “I’ll have the chance to be in the START program for 18 months which is very comforting.” “One thing that makes START unique is that our caseworkers are doulas, and they integrate holistic support into their case management work with moms. Our doulas are not only birth doulas, but also recovery doulas, and life transformation doulas.” To refer yourself or another person, please use the QR code or click the button. Community-based and in-home integrated mental health and substance use treatment during pregnancy and postpartum.
Peer Recovery Support
The Role of Certified Specialists
Relationship-Based Substance Use Counseling
Relationship-Based Substance Use Counseling with Licensed Clinicians
Integrated Doula Support
Integrated Doula Care and Case Management
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120 Finderne Ave
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
7 Glenwood Avenue
East Orange, NJ 07017 Message CGE
Testimonials
Carolyn Flynn, LPC, CD, IMH-E®
Director, Infant and Early Childhood Relational Health
Client
START Program
Team Member
START Program
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