The NC Perinatal and Maternal Substance Abuse Initiative

The North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services has funded perinatal and maternal substance abuse programs which are specifically designed to meet the needs of women who are using substances while they are pregnant and/or parenting and the needs of their children. These programs fall into five categories.

Perinatal: Programs for women who are pregnant or post partum and require a residential level of substance abuse treatment. Some of these programs are able to accommodate other children as well as the infants. Services typically include substance abuse treatment, life skills training, parenting education, child care, and transportation. Clients may stay up to a year. There is no income or health insurance requirement for these services.

Maternal: Programs for women who are mothers and require a residential level of substance abuse treatment and their children. There is no income or health insurance requirement for these services. Services typically include substance abuse treatment, life skills training, parenting education, child care, and transportation. Clients may stay up to a year.

CASAWORKS: Programs for women who are mothers, require a residential level of substance abuse treatment, and receive Work First cash assistance, and their children. Services typically include substance abuse treatment, job training, life skills training, parenting education, child care and transportation. Clients may stay up to a year. The CASAWORKS for Families model was developed by the Columbia University Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.

Transitional: Programs for women who are pregnant and women who are mothers and have three to four months of sobriety. Services typically include substance abuse treatment, job training, life skills training, parenting education, child care, and transportation. Clients and their children may stay up to two years.

Outpatient: Programs for women. Women do not need to have custody of their children to participate in these programs. Services may include group, individual, and/or family counseling on an outpatient basis. Life skills training, parenting education, child care, and transportation may be included in these programs.

To make a referral to a program or to get more information, contact:

Judith Johnson Jones,, MA, LCAS
Coordinator of Perinatal Substance Use Project Alcohol/Drug Council of North Carolina
600 East Main St. Suite 203
Durham, NC 27701
(800) 688-4232
[email protected]