Brought to you by the New York Mental Health Counselors Association
Pregnant individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) experience some of the most pervasive inequities in modern healthcare. Data show that systemic racism, stigma, and punitive drug policies continue to create dangerous barriers to treatment. According to national surveillance studies, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women, and these disparities are compounded by substance use stigma and lack of access to coordinated care (Brown & DuBois, 2024; Fuchs et al., 2023). Black and Indigenous pregnant people are also disproportionately drug tested at delivery, often without medical justification, resulting in higher rates of child welfare involvement and custody loss (Cohen et al., 2023).
Punitive legislation and outdated clinical practices amplify harm. Research shows that more than 25 states criminalize prenatal substance use, leading many individuals to avoid prenatal visits altogether (He et al., 2024). Fear of incarceration or child removal forces pregnant people to conceal their substance use rather than seek help, contributing to increased maternal morbidity and mortality. Studies also indicate that mental health conditions, including untreated depression and trauma are among the leading causes of pregnancy-related death (SAMHSA, 2023; Glazer & Howell, 2021), yet these are frequently overlooked in traditional SUD treatment programs that fail to integrate behavioral and obstetric care.
Lift Every Mother: Reducing Barriers in Maternal Substance Use Care is a 3-hour pre-convention workshop designed by Dr. Taiesha Wooten to equip interprofessional teams with the knowledge and tools to confront these inequities through trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and integrated approaches. The workshop combines guided mindfulness, bias-awareness exercises, and collaborative case study analysis to promote reflection and action. Participants will explore how systemic oppression, implicit bias, and policy decisions converge to shape patient outcomes and will learn strategies for building trust and promoting safety in clinical encounters.
Through four interactive modules Understanding Systemic Barriers, Seeing Through Bias, Centering Culture and Trauma, and Building Integrated Care Models, attendees will engage in dialogue, simulation, and strategy mapping to identify solutions within their professional contexts. Drawing on research by Covington (2008), Jemal et al. (2020), Greene & Korchmaros (2024), and Maté (2022), the session grounds its methods in trauma-informed, harm-reduction, and equity-based frameworks.
Disclaimer: This event is organized and hosted by an AMHCA-affiliated chapter and is not an official event of the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA). Any questions, concerns, requests for accommodations, or issues related to registration, content, logistics, or participation should be directed to the organization hosting the event using the contact information provided in the event listing.