Media contact: Rosanne Fohn, (210) 567-3026, fohn@uthscsa.edu
WHAT: Pregnant and parenting women recovering from opioid use disorder and their children will celebrate an early Mother’s Day dinner provided by Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Following the dinner at Casa Mia, a recovery home for mothers and their children, UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing will have activities for mothers and their children, including crafts that enhance caregiving skills.
WHY: Wellness, caregiving and research with marginalized populations is an important focus of the curriculum in the UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing. Casa Mia is a partnership between the local non-profit Crosspoint Inc. and the School of Nursing. Here, nursing students learn how to address the needs of this unique population. Only 3% of homes nationwide use this model of recovery and Casa Mia is one of only two in Texas. This makes Casa Mia a special place for recovering mothers and their children, and for the nursing students. Helping mothers care for their children while in recovery supports early attachment and child development, and builds parenting confidence.
WHEN: 5:30-7:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 8
WHERE: Casa Mia. (Reporters should call for this confidential address.)
WHO: Martha Martinez, M.S.N., RN, and Lisa Cleveland, Ph.D., RN, CPNP, IBCLC, FAA, both UT Health San Antonio associate professor of nursing, nursing students, mothers from Casa Mia and Melvin and Dell Braziel from Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church will be available for interview.
DETAILS: More mothers die in Texas related to pregnancy and the year that follows than in any other state. The leading cause of maternal mortality is drug overdose. Bexar County has been disproportionally affected, having one-third of the states’ babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), newborn opioid withdrawal, which affects 300 to 400 babies here each year. When babies are born with NAS, Child Protective Services typically becomes involved. If a mother is not able to provide a safety plan, her infant may be removed and placed in foster care. The School of Nursing is committed to providing a more positive outcome for these mothers and their children.
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