Improving Maternal Health: Building Trauma-Responsive Systems of Care

On Thursday, September 25, dozens of healthcare professionals, educators, social service providers, and policy leaders came together to examine the intersection of socio-economic harm, substance use, and maternal health through the lens of trauma-responsive care.  The conference held at the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) in Wallingford wrapped up the latest Parents Recovering From Opioid and Other Use Disorders (PROUD) webinar series, which focused on the importance of creating healthcare environments that are safe, trustworthy, empowering, and culturally attuned.

The event featured a keynote address by Carmen G. Black, MD, MHS, from the Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital, University of Connecticut, and Yale School of Medicine, exploring how chronic exposure to systemic inequities such as poverty, systemic racism, and community disinvestment shapes risk factors for opioid and other use disorders and influences how birthing people engage with health services.  The keynote challenged participants to move beyond individual-level models and embrace equity-centered approaches that honor lived experience, promote structural accountability, and foster resilience.

A panel of interdisciplinary clinicians, behavioral health specialists, and community-based practitioners also discussed care coordination for parents recovering from opioid and other use disorders and shared real-world perspectives on caring for individuals in recovery.

PROUD comprises educational series administered by CHA and funded through a grant from the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) to educate those in the caring professions on support strategies that help families succeed.

Click here to view all PROUD trainings.