BRATTLEBORO — Turning Point and the Winston Prouty Center for Child and Family Development are partnering to provide a new recovery-support group for expectant and parenting mothers in recovery from addiction.
Recovery Mamas will meet at Turning Point, 39 Elm St., every Thursday morning from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The group is for mothers in recovery and will be facilitated by mothers in recovery. Childcare and light snacks will be provided.
According to a news release, Turning Point and the Prouty Center hope that by combining the strength of the peer-recovery model with additional supports focused on child development and parenting, this initiative will help to reverse and reduce the number of children in state custody.
Pregnancy and early motherhood are rewarding and transformative experiences, but they can be very stressful. These stresses, in addition to what a woman may be facing in her recovery journey, can make it challenging to maintain wellness and thrive.
Recovery Mamas will provide a safe, supportive place for mothers to share about all the issues they are facing - parenting challenges, connection to services, medical care for themselves and their children, access to recovery supports, and more, with the hope of reducing the number of children in unstable home environments.
The region has seen a significant increase in the number of children in state custody with Agency of Human Services Department for Children and Families, according to Turning Point and the Winston Prouty Center. Both believe that people fundamentally want to do their best for their children, so both want to help them succeed at being good parents.
The Recovery Mamas group will help parents reflect on their behavior and assist them in goal setting, provide strategies on taking care of self and family well-being, connect families together as a circle of support, provide development-centered parenting education, and inform and connect families with other resources in the community.
Participants will be able to easily access Winston Prouty's supports for their children, including referrals to early intervention, home visiting nursing, economic support, and mental health services. Recovery peers will help facilitate these connections.