Lessons learned in COVID-19: mothers with problematic substance use and involvement with child protective services need support to promote family well-being

ABSTRACT

The universal experience of COVID-19 and its associated public health response presents an opportunity to see inequities that exist within our population when accessing community services and supports. In this article, we cast a spotlight on one group who is at risk for experiencing such inequity: women with problematic substance use who are pregnant or parenting. Motherhood offers an opportunity for development of the self, child and family and can be pivotal in helping women to address challenges they and their family may be experiencing. This is a shared opportunity and requires communities to see these families in their complexity of strengths and needs and to support them on this journey. The pandemic has uncovered inequities in our systems of care and barriers faced by families. As the pandemic situation improves, citizens and communities must resist the temptation to push aside the evidence of social disparity and challenge and engage in social action and change. This may help us to develop policies, services, and attitudes that promote well-being in equitable, accessible, and empowering ways to support rather than hinder mothers, children, and families as they work to realize their life goals.

KEYWORDS:

• Women
• motherhood
• substance use
• intervention
• trauma
• child welfare

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research: [424910, SPOR Catalyst Grant]; Ryerson University Faculty of Arts Special Project.

Notes on contributors

Hanna Valeriote

Hanna Valeriote has a MA in Political Science from the Technical University of Gdansk. She is a Research Assistant in the Child and Family WISE lab at Ryerson University. Hanna is engaged in research about mothers currently or formerly involved with substance use who often have concurrent disorders (e.g. trauma, anxiety, and depression). In particular, she is interested in processes that foster or hinder feelings of trust and safety in women within health and social systems and the impact on their health and well-being and that of their children.

Karen Milligan

Karen Milligan, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Ryerson University and Director of the Child and Family WISE research lab. Her research examines parenting and maternal mental health in women with past and current experience with problematic substance use. She is interested in program development and evaluation, including individual and family outcomes associated with integrated models of substance use treatment.