Wheeler’s Women’s (REACH) Program for Expectant and Parenting Women and Their Families
Pregnant and parenting women with substance use issues and their families can access recovery resources, behavioral health, primary care, and additional supports through Wheeler’s Women’s REACH program (Recovery, Engagement, Access, Coaching & Healing).
Funded by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) through a three-year grant to Wheeler, the program is designed to provide outreach, engagement, short-term case management, and recovery support resources to pregnant and parenting women with substance use or co-occuring disorders as well as their partners, and other immediate parenting family or natural support who have been affected by substance use, either personally, or by the use of the child’s parent.
“This program is a wonderful way to provide families with a compassionate, highly individualized path to recovery,” said Melissa Mendez, LCSW, IMH-E, director of Community, Crisis, and Prevention Services. “People have different issues, different challenges, different needs, and our team will support participants in ways to address those needs.”
Recovery Navigators help participants to connect to resources to facilitate their recovery, including but not limited to medication-assisted recovery, behavioral health supports, community supports, harm reduction, Family Care Plan development, reproductive health services, medical needs, basic needs, and child needs.
The program service individuals in the following cities and towns in DMHAS Region 4:
Andover, Avon, Berlin, Bloomfield, Bolton, Bristol, Burlington, Canton, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Hartford, Hebron, Kensington, Manchester, Marlborough, New Britain, Newington, Plainville, Plymouth, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Southington, Stafford, Suffield, Tolland, Vernon, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Windsor, and Windsor Locks.
