The Wright Center for Community Health and Maternal and Family Health Services

The Wright Center for Community Health and Maternal and Family Health Services were awarded $500,000 from AllOne Foundation to support the organizations’ work within the community-based Healthy MOMS (Maternal Opiate Medical Support) Pregnancy-Recovery initiative. The Healthy MOMS program launched in late 2018 with a goal of organizing regional players in the healthcare, legal and social services sectors to care for pre- and post-natal women with Opioid-Use Disorder (OUD) and, ultimately, reduce their babies’ risk of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

Benefitting from these grant funds, moms-to-be within multiple counties are eligible for services/care during their pregnancy, through delivery and continued throughout their postpartum “fourth trimester”. Support can include assistance with housing, childcare, transportation, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), substance abuse counseling, case management, mental health counseling, recovery supports through a certified recovery specialist, and medical care for mom and baby.

The Healthy MOMS program is modeled after Ohio’s successful MOMS (Maternal Opiate Medical Support) Project, a community-based model that addresses the needs of pregnant women struggling with OUD and their newborns. Care is coordinated through a team of community partners specifically aligned to guide a woman with OUD on her path of recovery.

Although The Wright Center for Community Health and Maternal and Family Health Services are the co-recipients of this grant from AllOne Foundation, the Healthy MOMS collaborative is made possible through the engagement of many community-based organizations, including Lackawanna/Susquehanna Office of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Lackawanna County Office of Youth and Family Services, Susquehanna County Children and Youth Services, Moses Taylor Hospital, Outreach Center for Community Resources, Geisinger and Scranton Primary Health Care Center.

The Healthy MOMS program continues to grow, and interested community partners within any of the counties served are encouraged to reach out to Maria Kolcharno, The Wright Center for Community Health’s Director of Addiction Services, at 570-955-7821 to get involved or make a referral into the program. Individuals may also self-refer by contacting Maria Kolcharno at 570-955-7821.

Photo attached, (L-R): Maria Kolcharno, Director of Addiction Services, The Wright Center for Community Health; Cindy Kennedy, Director COC and DSS Operations, Maternal and Family Health Services; Yurii Lynn Harden, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Maternal and Family Health Services; Bette Saxton, President and CEO, Maternal and Family Health Services; Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, Chief Executive Officer, The Wright Center for Community Health; John Menapace, Board Member, AllOne Foundation and Charities; John W. Cosgrove, Executive Director, AllOne Foundation and Charities; Mary Carroll Donahoe, Program Officer, AllOne Foundation and Charities; Dr. Maria Montoro-Edwards, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, The Wright Center for Community Health; and Scott Constantini, Director of Behavioral Health, The Wright Center for Community Health