Harbor Behavioral Health - Affiliate of ProMedica Receives National Grant To Help Decrease Infant Mortality

Plans to open a 15-bed residential treatment center in northwest Ohio later this year

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Jun 12, 2015, 11:32 ET

TOLEDO, Ohio, June 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has awarded Harbor Behavioral Health, an affiliate of ProMedica, a $1.5 million, three-year grant to expand the availability of comprehensive, residential substance abuse treatment, prevention, and recovery support services for pregnant and postpartum women and their minor children over the next three years. This is the largest and most significant grant ever awarded to Harbor.

"This project addresses a significant gap in our local health system for women and infants who are at particularly high risk for health issues – and even death – related to the mother's substance abuse," says John Sheehan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Harbor Behavioral Health, an affiliate of ProMedica. "This collaborative effort between Harbor and ProMedica can help offset the devastating impact of infant mortality in our communities."

Harbor and ProMedica will collaborate to open a 15-bed residential treatment center in Northwest Ohio later this year. The center will house pregnant and postpartum women who have limited access to quality health services. The project will primarily serve a Medicaid population including women, children, and family members, and anticipates caring for approximately 240 individuals over the course of the three-year grant period.

By reducing social environmentally related issues that can lead to health and drug issues, the project is intended to:

Help decrease the impact of the opioid epidemic in Lucas, Wood, and neighboring northwest Ohio counties.
Increase the rate of safe and healthy pregnancies and birth outcomes.
Reduce the time infants require in neonatal intensive care units due to being born to addicted mothers.
Improve parenting skills and family functioning through educational programs.
Ensure a successful community reintegration for mothers and their families that will help avoid a relapse through a coordinated, team-based and case management approach and treatment plan.

The national infant mortality rate in the United States in 2010 was 6.14 deaths per 1,000 births, compared to the Lucas County overall rate of 6.8. The rate was higher in Lucas County (10.4) for African American babies. The number of pregnant women at admission who were receiving treatment for drug abuse in Ohio from 2004 – 2011 nearly doubled from 401 to 732.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.

For more information about behavioral health services at ProMedica and Harbor, visit www.promedica.org/mentalhealth and www.harbor.org.

About Harbor
Harbor is currently the largest mental health provider in Northwest Ohio and encompasses a wide range of services that include counseling, psychiatric services, care coordination, adult day services for individuals with developmental disabilities, vocational programs for those with barriers to employment, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, wellness education and Employee Assistance Programs. Harbor was voted as a Top Workplace in the Toledo area in early 2014. For more information, visit www.harbor.org.

About ProMedica
Toledo, Ohio-based ProMedica is a mission-based, not-for-profit healthcare organization formed in 1986. ProMedica has more than 15,000 employees and nearly 1,900 physicians with more than 600 healthcare providers employed by ProMedica Physicians. Its 12 hospitals and more than 300 facilities offer comprehensive diagnostic, medical and surgical specialties in heart and vascular, oncology, orthopaedics, neurology, and women and pediatric services. ProMedica's mission is to improve health and well-being, with a strong focus on wellness and clinical excellence, as well as innovative, community advocacy programs that address health-related issues such as hunger and obesity. For more information, please visit www.promedica.org.

SOURCE Harbor