Capito, Manchin Announce $900k to Support Pregnant and Postpartum Mothers with Substance Use Disorder in West Virginia

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $900,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR). This funding will establish a pilot program in West Virginia to provide treatment for pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorder.

“One of the most devastating consequences of the opioid epidemic is the impact substance use can have on infants and mothers. That’s why I introduced the Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women Act, legislation that was signed into law that strengthens programs for our mothers battling addiction. This funding in support of West Virginia’s Pilot Program for Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women will build off of our previous investments, while also helping to deliver the services our families rely on. Providing the help that our state’s substance use and recovery agencies need to implement community based solutions is crucial to our continued battle against the addiction crisis,” Senator Capito said.

“Every West Virginian has experienced the impacts of the drug epidemic on our communities, friends, families and loved ones. It is especially heartbreaking to know expecting and postpartum mothers are suffering from substance use disorder, which can also negatively impact their newborn. I am pleased by the establishment of a pilot program in West Virginia that will provide treatment and services to mothers with substance use disorder and their newborns. As the drug epidemic rages on, it is vital that mothers with substance use disorder get the help they need and deserve, and I will continue fighting for funding to do just that,” Senator Manchin said.

The pilot program is designed to support family-based services for pregnant and postpartum women with a primary diagnosis of a substance use disorder, including opioid disorders; help state substance abuse agencies address the continuum of care, including services provided to pregnant and postpartum women in nonresidential-based settings; and promote a coordinated, effective and efficient state system managed by state substance abuse agencies by encouraging new approaches and models of service delivery.

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