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HASC members are invited to a free webinar series on implementing Plans of Safe Care (POSC) in hospital settings. POSC are a key mandate of the federal Comprehensive Addiction Recovery and Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment acts. The series is hosted by Health Management Associates (HMA) and the Los Angeles Office of Child Protection (OCP), with support from HASC.
The series of 10 webinars will run on Fridays, June 7 through Aug. 9. Learn more and register for the webinars on HMA’s website:
Background
Perinatal substance use is a major public health and child welfare concern. Research has linked substance use disorder (SUD) during pregnancy with adverse pregnancy outcomes, increased maternal mortality and complications associated with risky sexual and drug use behaviors.
Perinatal SUD is also linked to short- and long-term health effects on infants. These outcomes include longer hospital stays, low birth weight and impaired growth, along with neurological and behavioral effects such as neonatal opioid withdrawal or abstinence syndrome (NOWS/NAS).
State and local data show that as of 2020, 7.5% of pregnant persons reported alcohol use in their third trimester and the NAS incidence in LA County was 1.6 per 1,000. [1][2][3] Based on live birth data from the LA County Department of Public Health, this number translates to approximately 7,000 to 8,000 infants with alcohol exposure and 160 infants with NAS each year.[4] According to research, these data undercount the actual amount of perinatal substance use and substance exposure in infants.
HMA has been retained by OCP and the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services to provide free education, training and technical assistance on implementing POSC to Los Angeles County birthing hospitals. A research and consulting firm, HMA has many years of experience in addressing perinatal substance use and implementing POSC. Projects have included working with the Department of Health Care Services State Opioid Response (SOR) grant program in partnership with the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative. Learn more at https://www.healthmanagement.com.
For any questions, please email Ana Reza, HASC, or call her at the number below.
[1] Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Improving Response to Perinatal and Reproductive Health in SUD Treatment Settings, p.5, September 1, 2020. Available at http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/sapc/networkproviders/pm/090120/ReproductiveHealthPregnancySUD.pdf
[2] California Department of Public Health, Center for Family Health, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division, Prenatal Substance Use Dashboard, Last Modified June 2023. Available at www.go.cdph.ca.gov/Prenatal-Substance-Use-Dashboard
[3] California Department of Public Health, Center for Family Health, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Dashboard, Last Modified November 2023. Available at www.go.cdph.ca.gov/neonatal-abstinence-syndrome-dashboard
[4] Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Live Births 2020 Report. Available at http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/mch/fhop/fhop2020/Live Births_2020.pdf