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Supporting Partners Working to Reduce Substance Use among Pregnant Women

Background

Many Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (PQCs) across the country are focusing some of their work on addressing maternal substance use disorder (SUD). Through funding from a 5-year CDC cooperative agreement, Karna is supporting that work by developing or revising related tools and resources. To help with this, Karna assembled a Maternal Health Advisory Network (MHAN), a diverse group of 15+ expert collaborators, who will provide ongoing input, advice, and ideas to support the PQCs’ effort to decrease maternal substance use.

At-A-Glance

Strategies

  • Conduct literature review and environmental scan to inform the development of MHAN as well as identify resource/intervention gaps

  • Launch and support MHAN

  • Develop/revise/update products and resources

Capabilities

RESEARCH

    • Completing literature review, environmental scan and other background research to establish list of MHAN invitees and get an updated understanding of the maternal SUD space
    • Conducting listening sessions with potential MHAN members to better understand gaps in supporting pregnant women with SUD

RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

    • Developing new tools and resources to improve maternal health and outcomes for pregnant women with SUD
    • Gathering and supporting MHAN, including holding monthly meetings, gathering best practices and lessons learned to inform product development, and seeking input on resources we develop

Resources

Building a Culture of Support for Pregnant Patients with SUD

This PDF document highlights strategies for all healthcare providers and support staff to respond to pregnant patients experiencing SUD with patience, empathy, and understanding. It includes tips and scripts for building a culture of support in clinical settings.   

Providing Compassionate Care for Pregnant and Parenting Patients with Substance Use Disorder: Reducing Stigma to Improve Outcomes Grand Rounds PowerPoint and Script  

This presentation includes an editable PowerPoint slide deck (PPT) and presentation script (.doc) to be used in a clinical training setting. It uses a case study and evidence-based information to engage healthcare staff in thinking about stigma and SUD treatment.   

Providing Compassionate Care by Reducing Stigma for Pregnant Patients with Substance Use Disorder: Part 1

This video provides an overview of stigma in the clinical setting, examples from patients, definitions of stigma and SUD, overviews of screening, referral, and treatment, and tips for providing compassionate care. This can be used as a short, video-based training when onboarding new staff or when introducing concepts related to maternal SUD.

Providing Compassionate Care by Reducing Stigma for Pregnant Patients with Substance Use Disorder: Part 2

This video is part two of a training series for healthcare providers on delivering compassionate, stigma-free care to pregnant patients. It introduces the SBIRT model—Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment—as a practical, evidence-informed approach to identifying and addressing substance use during pregnancy. Through realistic provider-patient interactions, viewers will learn how to conduct screenings, engage in motivational conversations, and connect patients with supportive resources. This video emphasizes empathy, trust-building, and patient-centered care to improve outcomes for both mother and baby. Here are additional resources: