Women’s Life Recovery Program

Key Outcomes

• The Women’s Life Recovery Program houses and treats approximately 30 mothers and their children each year. Pregnant women in recovery also find safe haven in the program: in the last two years, six healthy babies were delivered by mothers in treatment.
• Positive impacts go beyond mothers in treatment. For example, a father in treatment, who may otherwise have had no contact with his family, was able to see his child daily thanks to the partnership between Haven and the First United Methodist church, which provided free daycare for children living at Haven. The mother was also in treatment and living with the child onsite.
• This project enhanced communication and trust with the Calhoun County Child Protective Services office and facilitated regular onsite supervised parental visits. At least two children with active CPS cases were reunified with their mothers as they progressed through the program, and many others potentially avoided out-of-home placements that would have resulted when a mother seeks treatment.

Project Summary

For many years, Haven of Rest saw that mothers faced unique barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) care and treatment, yet few options offered long-term housing and treatment solutions with an emphasis on keeping the family together. Haven of Rest Ministries witnessed these barriers firsthand—prior to this project, their SUD treatment program was outpatient only and could not host families, nor treat women who needed housing.

Haven of Rest endeavored to create a sustainable service where women could receive intensive treatment and reside with their children. This required them to build strong multisector partnerships between the child welfare system, justice system, payors, and other community organizations committed to creating social and financial support for a mother in treatment.

Most pressing: the costs of running a 24/7 home and treatment center for women required new and diversified funding streams. With an eye toward sustainability, Haven of Rest expanded their ability to bill insurance plans, including Medicaid, for clinical services provided to mothers in group and one-on-one settings. In the final year of the program, insurance billing brought in a revenue stream that can sustain programming. With guidance from Southwest Michigan Behavioral Health, Haven of Rest is pursuing funding opportunities that will allow them to sustainably treat uninsured women.

Ultimately, Haven of Rest provides much more than clinical SUD therapy. Their program includes parenting classes, access to free (through DHHS support) childcare, support navigating the child welfare system, and opportunities for personal growth. To support the array of services they provide to families, Haven of Rest is expanding partnerships with the City of Battle Creek, universities for student placement opportunities, and other foundations.

In a recent conversation, a program graduate highlighted the supportive atmosphere and sense of family that motivates residents on their recovery journey. This holistic approach illuminates the value of residential treatment focused on the needs of mothers and children. Program staff understand that women are traditionally pulled in competing directions when faced with a decision about SUD treatment: fighting for sobriety or fighting for their children. Staff at Haven of Rest Women’s Life Recovery Program help women pursue both aims at once, keeping families together and helping them thrive.