 Sharon is a Nurse Practitioner, Certified Methadone Advocate, practices at Discovery House, a Rhode Island-based Opiate Treatment provider with 16 clinics in 5 states and is the Lead Developer and Coordinator of the "Mother's On Methadone" (MOM) Program at Kent Hospital in Rhode Island. Sharon is also on the Board of Advisors to Methadone Support Org. Sharon became a Recovery and Methadone Advocate when she discovered her son’s addiction to heroin. After a one-year struggle, 5 rehab admissions and 3 overdoses, her son finally achieved a sustained recovery and has maintained that recovery for over 3 years. Sharon decided to try and help others and learned all she could about the effectiveness of MMT as well as the problems that exist in the clinic systems. She had found her calling and became a Certified Methadone Advocate. She started working on a proposal for the Mothers On Methadone (MOM) Program at the hospital where she worked as a Nurse Practitioner in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit. She discovered that at some hospitals MMT patients were only allowed to visit their babies one hour a day. Sharon knew that this was not beneficial for the maternal-newborn bonding that is so essential for both mother and baby. After a year, the "MOM" program was finally approved and is now up and running at its full potential. "MOM" supports and educates mothers on MMT or those dependent on opioids for pain management. The highlights of the program are: *
Prenatal support, education and consultation with a
healthcare professional specializing in methadone, pregnancy and the newborn
where all the important aspects of pregnancy, MMT, neonatal abstinence syndrome
and breastfeeding are discussed and recovery support is offered. * Kent
Hospital offers a Level II, Special Care Nursery staffed with nurses, nurse practitioners and physicians with
specialized training and experience treating babies experiencing Neonatal
Abstinence Syndrome.
*
A
counseling and assessment session with a social worker who can offer assistance
to link the mother with all necessary community agencies, cost-free
classes including childbirth, infant care, breastfeeding and infant CPR. * Nursery Volunteer Program that includes cuddlers to fill in during the times the baby's family is not available. * With the goal of promoting bonding and educational opportunities in mind, prolonged parental visits are encouraged and supported with cafeteria vouchers that are available for those who may need them. |
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