{"id":82831,"date":"2026-07-01T14:31:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T18:31:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/?p=82831"},"modified":"2026-07-02T13:55:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T17:55:52","slug":"a-bussw-community-collaboration-developed-an-intervention-to-change-outcomes-for-mothers-in-recovery-and-their-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/a-bussw-community-collaboration-developed-an-intervention-to-change-outcomes-for-mothers-in-recovery-and-their-children\/","title":{"rendered":"A BUSSW-Community Collaboration Developed an Intervention to Change Outcomes for Mothers in Recovery and Their Children"},"content":{"rendered":"

For mothers navigating recovery from opioid use disorder, the postpartum period can be the most dangerous stretch of all. Research\u00a0shows\u00a0that\u00a0the first year after birth is a high-risk window for fatal overdose and other preventable deaths. The challenges of new parenthood, sleep\u00a0deprivation,\u00a0and potential loss of insurance or treatment access\u00a0can compound that risk significantly.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ruth Paris, a professor at Boston University School of Social Work\u00a0<\/span><\/a>(BUSSW), has spent more than 15 years\u00a0co-developing and refining approaches to address exactly that crisis. Now, a new federal case study from the\u00a0<\/span>Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration\u00a0(SAMHSA)<\/span><\/a> is recognizing her collaborative work.\u00a0<\/span>“Healthy Starts: Postpartum OUD Care Transitions for Mother and Infant,”<\/span><\/a>\u00a0examines best practices for supporting mothers with opioid use disorder and their babies through the critical postpartum period. It also\u00a0highlights BRIGHT\u00a0(<\/span>Building Resilience through Intervention: Growing Healthier Together),<\/span><\/a>\u00a0a parenting intervention Paris co-developed with the Institute for Health and Recovery and the Center for Early Relationship Support at\u00a0Jewish\u00a0Family and Children’s Service\u00a0(JFCS), as a standout model for integrated, family-centered care.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Filling a Critical Gap\u00a0for Mothers in Recovery<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

BRIGHT<\/span><\/a> was designed to address something most parenting programs overlook. Mothers in recovery are often carrying their own histories of trauma and unmet needs, which can make nurturing a newborn feel that much harder. At the same time, their infants face elevated risk for maltreatment and delays in social, emotional, and cognitive development. BRIGHT addresses both sides of that equation at once.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The intervention serves mothers with substance use disorders and their children from birth through age 6. Weekly sessions focus on strengthening the bond between parent and child through play, relationship-building\u00a0activities\u00a0and guided reflection \u2014 helping mothers better understand their own emotions and their baby’s cues. Emotion regulation and recovery support are woven throughout. Sessions can take place in a clinic, at\u00a0home,\u00a0or via telehealth.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Years of Supporting\u00a0Recovering\u00a0Families\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Paris and her collaborators at the Institute for Health and Recovery have offered BRIGHT as an enhancement to addiction treatment and medical care for more than 15 years, with funding from SAMHSA and the Health Resources and Services Administration.\u00a0The program has been successfully implemented across five different settings and is listed as a best practice in the Maternal and Child Health Innovations Database\u00a0maintained\u00a0by\u00a0<\/span>the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Model That Works<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

BRIGHT’s inclusion in the SAMHSA report reflects something the case study argues throughout: keeping mothers and babies healthy after birth requires more than a prescription.\u00a0It takes trust, coordination,\u00a0and care that\u00a0takes into\u00a0account\u00a0the\u00a0full picture of a family’s life.\u00a0Programs that address parenting, mental\u00a0health\u00a0and recovery together are associated with higher rates of treatment completion, reduced substance\u00a0use,\u00a0and a greater likelihood of children\u00a0remaining\u00a0in their parents’ care.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paris’s work with BRIGHT\u00a0showcases\u00a0the impact of\u00a0meaningful, funded\u00a0research\u00a0\u2014\u00a0designed\u00a0to be used by real clinicians, with real families.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The full SAMHSA case study is available at samhsa.gov. More information about\u00a0<\/span>BRIGHT, including implementation guidance, is\u00a0available here.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more about Professor Ruth Paris\u2019 work<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Federal agency spotlights Professor Paris\u2019s collaborative work in new case study on postpartum opioid use disorder care.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26066,"featured_media":82832,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7513,7427,7426,4057],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82831"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26066"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82831"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82831\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82834,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82831\/revisions\/82834"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}