Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana (VOAOHIN) has announced a three-year, $2.8 million grant from the Anthem Blue and Cross Blue Shield Foundation in support of universal substance use screening for pregnant women in Indiana.

The grant will fund an Indiana-based Fresh Start Connect program designed as a critical care pathway to assist mothers affected by substance use disorder (SUD). The program will enlist partners within the state’s health system to educate and screen the mothers at risk of SUD, and the program includes referrals and enrollments into supportive and safe treatment programs, including VOAOHIN’s Fresh Start Recovery, a residential program that provides intensive treatment and support for pregnant women with substance use disorder. The centers are unique because they keep mothers with their children (under the age of 5) during treatment and recovery.

“The Fresh Start Connect program has been developed to support vulnerable and underserved pregnant women in Indiana. It is a first step, at a grassroots level, for healthcare teams to diagnose affected moms early in their pregnancy so we can offer an intervention plan with wrap around support, which will continue after the baby is born,” VOAOHIN president and CEO John R. von Arx III. “This new program connects with our Fresh Start Recovery residential treatment program, which provides residential treatment where moms get to stay with their children, 5 and under, during recovery.”

“This grant fits with our philosophy on whole health—looking beyond a person’s physical health to include the behavioral and social drivers as well,” said Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Medicaid division president Kimberly Roop. “As an OB/GYN, I know early intervention, comprehensive treatment, and aftercare are critical to bring about safer pregnancies, healthier mothers and a decline in Indiana’s alarming rate of maternal mortality.”

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