Mother and Child Dependency Program

We treat women with substance use disorder and bring healing to them and their babies. MetroHealth wants to see every mom and baby living healthy and to their full potential.

To schedule a consultation please call 216-778-4444.

For more information about this program, please call our Social Workers at 216-778-4247 (8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. M-F). 

MetroHealth’s Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, comprised of nationally renowned experts in high-risk pregnancies, is one of the most respected programs in the country. Women receive obstetric evaluations and examinations by high-risk pregnancy experts who specialize in the care of substance use disorder in pregnant women. MetroHealth offers a labor and delivery unit with highly trained staff as well as a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for newborns who may require intensive medical treatment after birth.

We understand that not every opiate-affected pregnant woman lives close enough to MetroHealth to deliver here. Thus, we also provide consult services for those patients who live far away. We can work with your local Obstetrician or Maternal-Fetal Medicine doctor to provide you with optimal care.

We also work closely with various community agencies and recovery treatment centers so that all pregnant women in our program get the best possible care.

Services Offered

Psychiatric Evaluation and Care

From our experience, a significant number of pregnant women with drug dependency have unmet mental health needs such as anxiety and depression. Our team has a great deal of experience helping these moms. When drug-addicted pregnant women come for the obstetric appointment, they are also offered a psychiatric assessment. This assessment is offered in the obstetric clinic when the patient comes for her OB appointments.

Prenatal Consultation with a Newborn Specialist

We offer all moms with high-risk pregnancies, including drug dependent mothers, the opportunity to meet with a newborn specialist to discuss what to expect when their baby is born. This helps the pregnant mom to be better prepared.

Pediatric Health Care

The goal of MetroHealth’s Mother and Child Dependency Program is to improve the outcomes of high-risk mothers and their babies. By careful medical management of drug dependent pregnant moms, we can reduce the need for Neonatal Intensive Care for their infants. We want to encourage an environment where the mom and baby are together to bond after delivery. Comprehensive pediatric care and immunizations are provided to our patients' babies. All children in the program are offered developmental testing and pediatric care during their first three years, including frequent developmental screenings. The program’s Care Coordinator and a Case Manager provide comprehensive case management and follow-up for each mother-infant pair.

Education and Family Planning

The Mother and Child Dependency Program provides extensive pregnancy and childbirth education classes for women and their families. The program also provides education and contraception to patients who wish to delay future pregnancies.

Care Coordination

The Care Coordinator works closely with the health care team to facilitate a patient-centered medical home for mothers and babies at MetroHealth. The Care Coordinator meets the mothers during their initial visit for prenatal care and helps them coordinate additional appointments, reminds them of upcoming appointments, sets up patient education classes and coordinates discharge planning for the moms after their deliver their baby as well as schedules follow up appointments. The Care Coordinator strengthens patient compliance by building trust and support.

Other Services

Each pregnancy is different and may require additional health care services to optimize care. Our Mother and Child Dependency Program experts will assess needs of each patient and arrange needed services accordingly such as a liver specialist, nutritional specialist, infectious disease specialist, occupational and physical therapists.

To learn more about this program, or to schedule a consultation please call 216-778-4444.

Click below to download a fact sheet about our Mother and Child Dependency Program.

Dependency Program Fact Sheet