New York, NY, Sept. 1, 2026 — A coalition of leading New York City residential treatment providers has come together to launch the NY Downstate Women & Children Residential Workgroup, a new collaborative initiative dedicated to strengthening services, improving continuity of care, and expanding access to treatment for pregnant women and mothers with young children affected by substance use disorders.
Odyssey House, one of New York City’s largest and longest-serving residential treatment and recovery organizations, helped found the workgroup, which brings together fellow leading providers Acacia Network, Lower Eastside Service Center (LESC), Samaritan Daytop Village, and SCO Family of Services, along with the NYC Administration for Children’s Services, the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), and the Strong Starts Initiative, a project of the Center for Justice Innovation.
“Odyssey House has long believed that treatment works best when it treats the whole family, not just the individual,” said Dr. Peter Provet, President and CEO of Odyssey House. “Bringing together the region’s leading providers under this workgroup allows us to share what we’ve learned, close gaps in the system, and give more mothers the chance to recover without having to be separated from their children.”
OASAS Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham said, “Pregnant women and mothers face unique and complex challenges related to substance use. Family-centered treatment programs can play a vital role in protecting maternal health, supporting child development, preserving families, and helping individuals in recovery live healthier lives. This innovative partnership marks a key step forward in strengthening New York’s continuum of care for pregnant and parenting people. It will help expand access to the comprehensive, compassionate, and family-centered care needed to support the recovery and well-being of women and their families.”
The workgroup includes providers committed to advancing evidence-based, trauma-informed, and family-centered residential treatment that allows mothers to remain with their children while receiving care.
“Women in recovery deserve treatment that recognizes their unique experiences as mothers, caregivers, and survivors of trauma,” said Suzette Gordon, President and CEO of SCO Family of Services. “By bringing providers together through this workgroup, we are creating stronger pathways to care that empower mothers, strengthen families, and help children and parents build healthy, stable futures.”
“Through our Young Mothers residential recovery program, we have seen the power and impact of mothers receiving comprehensive, compassionate treatment while remaining the primary caretakers of their young children. This workgroup gives providers and public agencies an important opportunity to strengthen that model, remove barriers to treatment, and ensure more mothers and families can access the support they need to heal and build healthy, stable futures,” said Mitchell Netburn, President and CEO of Samaritan Daytop Village.
Pregnant women and mothers face unique barriers to treatment, including fear of family separation, housing instability, childcare limitations, stigma, and trauma histories. The evidence for family-centered care is substantial: a federal evaluation of 24 residential family-based treatment programs under the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment’s Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Their Infants Program found that 60 percent of mothers remained substance-free six months after discharge. Eighty-eight percent of children treated alongside their mothers remained stably housed with them, and 44 percent were reunified with their mothers from foster care.
The NY Downstate Women & Children Residential Workgroup is focusing on:
- Enhancing collaboration among residential treatment providers
- Developing standardized transfer and referral protocols
- Expanding access to priority placements for pregnant women and mothers with children
- Identifying system gaps and service barriers
- Advancing workforce development and best practices in maternal behavioral health
- Strengthening partnerships with healthcare systems, child welfare agencies, courts, and community organizations
- Advocating for policies that support family preservation and long-term recovery
The workgroup also emphasizes the critical public health importance of early intervention during pregnancy and early childhood. Exposure to untreated substance use disorders, trauma, and unstable living environments can have lasting developmental impacts on children. At the same time, timely access to comprehensive treatment can significantly improve health, behavioral, educational, and social outcomes for both mother and child.
The workgroup will convene regular monthly meetings and pursue collaborative initiatives to improve treatment access and outcomes across the downstate region. It will discuss its efforts on October 13 at InUnity Alliance’s 3rd Annual Conference – Meeting the Moment: Advancing Access and Impact for Our Communities.
For additional information about the NY Downstate Women & Children Residential Workgroup, please contact:
Gene Heskin, Director of Admissions
Odyssey House
212-987-5195 or gheskin@odysseyhousenyc.org