Funded through the Missouri Substance Use Disorder Grant Program, offered by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, six program sites and one Technical Assistance Center (TAC) were selected to support efforts to reduce or delay the initiation of substance use, decrease barriers to care and services, strengthen recovery support systems, and foster recovery-friendly communities. These goals are achieved through the implementation and expansion of peer-based recovery support services for pregnant and parenting individuals, including peer recovery support, integrated care coordination, peer navigation, and wraparound services. In addition, the Technical Assistance Center provides training, technical assistance, and evaluation support to enhance the implementation and effectiveness of peer support services across participating sites. Explore the program sites below to learn more about their services and impact.
of Missourians reported needing treatment or faced barriers accessing care.*
*PRISM TAC Needs Assessment
Amethyst Place, founded in 2000, is a long-term supportive housing program for women and children recovering from generational poverty, substance use, and trauma. Our mission is to inspire transformational healing and empower generations of women and children to achieve recovery, reunification, and resilience. Located in Kansas City’s Midtown area, our campus offers 69 units of private, fully furnished apartments and townhomes, along with comprehensive wraparound services to support families.
Central Ozarks Medical Center (COMC) provides a comprehensive and integrated Substance Use Disorder (SUD) program designed to support individuals and families across rural Missouri through prevention, treatment, recovery support, and long-term stabilization services. COMC’s approach combines Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), behavioral health counseling, primary care integration, peer recovery support, care coordination, and community outreach to create a whole-person model of care for patients experiencing substance use challenges. A key component of the program is COMC’s maternal peer recovery initiative, “Recovery in Bloom,” which specifically supports pregnant and postpartum women navigating recovery while building healthy families. This maternal peer model focuses on reducing stigma, strengthening engagement in care, improving maternal and infant outcomes, and helping women build sustainable recovery and stability during pregnancy and throughout the postpartum period.
The CMH Addiction Recovery Program (ARP) offers highly individualized, client-centered treatment plans that lead patients to physical and emotional wellness. Specialized, supportive outpatient services offer medication assisted treatment (MAT), individual counseling, behavioral therapy and peer support services.
Queen of Peace Center (QOPC) provides family-centered services for individuals with substance use disorders, their families, and at-risk youth through treatment, prevention and education, housing, and wraparound support. Through its Maternal Peer-Based Recovery project, Maternal Health Peer Navigators partner with St. Louis-area hospitals to help pregnant and postpartum women access coordinated substance use treatment and healthcare services. The program integrates behavioral health, prenatal, and postpartum care to address the unique needs of women in recovery. By connecting families to comprehensive supports, QOPC aims to improve health outcomes for mothers and their children.
St. Louis Integrated Health Network’s (IHN) Healing, Outreach, and Peer Engagement for Mothers (HOPE) program provides patient-centered support for pregnant and postpartum individuals by reducing barriers to care and connecting participants to comprehensive wraparound services. Through partnerships with hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and community organizations, the program addresses social determinants of health such as housing, food security, transportation, and health insurance coverage. Individualized care plans and ongoing follow-up help ensure participants receive responsive, coordinated care tailored to their needs. Through evidence-based, culturally responsive approaches, HOPE aims to improve maternal health outcomes, reduce disparities, and strengthen long-term well-being for families across St. Louis City and County.
Washington County Memorial Hospital’s (WCMH) Maternal Peer-Based Recovery Support Program is a comprehensive, evidence-based initiative that supports pregnant and postpartum women experiencing substance use disorders and co-occurring behavioral health challenges. Serving rural Washington County, Missouri, the program provides certified peer support, maternal-focused recovery groups, integrated care coordination, and connections to prenatal, postpartum, mental health, and substance use treatment services. Participants can also receive assistance with transportation, childcare, housing, and other essential needs. Through mobile service delivery and a strong community referral network, the program helps reduce barriers to care and improve outcomes for mothers and their families.
Our vision is for optimal health and safety for all Missourians, in all communities, for life. This vision statement includes both health and safety since many of our divisions and programs are designed to serve Missourians, improve their health outcomes and ensure they live healthy lives in safety. Our commitment to serving Missourians, regardless of where they live and throughout all stages of life, influences the high standards we hold ourselves to each day.
The Action Network is comprised of key stakeholders and strategic partners such as service providers, organizations, and mothers with lived experience from across the state of Missouri. The Action Network works to develop action plans and recommendations to foster effective cross-system collaborations and address barriers preventing mothers affected by substance use from receiving needed services, aiming to improve behavioral health outcomes for mothers, children, and families affected by perinatal substance use.
To address underserved and unserved populations, the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Institute for Human Development’s Maternal and Child Health initiative provides research and evaluation support to community-based programs serving women and their young children from underserved or vulnerable backgrounds (e.g., families affected by maternal substance use disorders, mental health, etc.).
