PROUD | Connecting Care: Navigating Connecticut Resources for Parents in Recovery – 8/4/26

The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) and the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) are hosting a multipart education series, PROUD: Strengthening Care for Parents in Recovery. Parents Recovering from Opioid and Other Use Disorders (PROUD) is a SAMHSA-funded program of DMHAS.

Pregnant and postpartum individuals affected by substance use disorders often interact with multiple healthcare, behavioral health, treatment, and community-based systems. Navigating these systems can be challenging, particularly when providers and families are unfamiliar with available resources, eligibility requirements, referral processes, or the types of support offered at different stages of recovery.

This PROUD webinar will provide an overview of resources available in Connecticut to support pregnant and parenting individuals in recovery and their families. Representatives from SEPI-CT, a hospital, and a residential treatment program will share their perspectives on connecting individuals to care, coordinating services across settings, and supporting successful transitions between hospital, treatment, and community-based programs.

Panelists will highlight practical resources and referral pathways, discuss common barriers that individuals and providers may encounter, and identify strategies for strengthening communication and collaboration across systems. Participants will leave with a better understanding of how to help families access appropriate services and maintain continuity of care throughout pregnancy, the postpartum period, and recovery.

This webinar is designed for physicians, nurses, social workers, care coordinators, behavioral health and substance use treatment professionals, quality professionals, risk managers, healthcare executives, doulas, and others supporting pregnant and parenting individuals affected by substance use disorders and mental health conditions.

Presenters: Shayla Ranmal-Suppies, SEPI-CT; Melissa Kish, MA, LPC, NCC, PMH-C, IMH-E, Middlesex Health; Alison Friar, MS, LMFT, The Connection and Women’s REACH; and Julia Grasso, LCSW, InterCommunity Health Care

To register for any session in the series, visit the PROUD Trainings webpage at cthosp.org/education/proud. Continuing Education (CE) credits are pending approval.