Rural Intersections, Social Challenges, and Innovation: The Collaborative Home Alternative Medication Program (CHAMP)

ABSTRACT

This paper details how innovative collaboration can break down barriers to service for opioid-affected families in a rural northern state, addressing the medical needs of infants receiving care as well as supporting ongoing well-being for their adult caregivers. In so doing, the program provides a model for addressing potential disparities rooted in dimensions of social class related to rurality. Consistent with this special issue, social class is broadly viewed as the intersectionality between access or barriers to power rooted in economics, education, politics, employment, and aspects of diversity and identity such as culture, gender, sexual orientation, rurality, or language, as examples.

KEYWORDS:

• Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS)
• rural
• opioid
• social class

Acknowledgment

Thank you to the following for their important contributions to this project: Mark Brown, MD, MSPH, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Eastern Maine Medical Center (now Northern Light-Eastern Maine Medical Center); Adrienne Carmack, MD, Pediatrician, CHAMP Clinic, Penobscot Community Health Care; Karen Gardner, LCSW, CHAMP Clinic, PCHC; Kelsey Wilcox, LMSW-cc, interviewer; Robin Niccolai, LMSW-cc, interviewer; Danielle Chard, LiCSW, interviewer.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alison Smith Mitchell

Alison Smith Mitchell, MAIS, LCSW, is a PhD candidate at the Smith College School for Social Work, adjunct faculty at the University of Maine, and a mental health practitioner in central Maine. Her research focuses on supporting substance-exposed children and families, particularly those with opioid exposure. Ms. Mitchell combines practical experience with research expertise, measuring the impact of service provision for clients and staff alike, using findings to guide future programming or undertakings for agencies and research partners. She serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocates for children (CASA) volunteer guardian ad litem for children in protection cases, and was formerly a K-12 educator and administrator.

Leda Rodis

Leda Rodis, MSSA, LICSW, PhD Student, Smith College School for Social Work, 23 West Street, Lilly Hall, Northampton, MA 01063-0001, and Clinical Social Work/Therapist