Arkansas Launches Family-First Model to Combat Maternal Addiction

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – April 16, 2026 – In a significant move to address a growing public health crisis, Arkansas is pioneering a new approach to substance use treatment for mothers, one that aims to heal the entire family unit rather than just the individual. The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) and its Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (OSAMH) have announced a landmark partnership with the Family Centered Treatment Foundation (FCTF) to integrate a novel therapy model into the state’s residential programs for women.

This collaboration will embed the Family Centered Treatment-Recovery (FCT-R) model within the state's Specialized Women's Services (SWS) program. The initiative provides a critical lifeline to pregnant and parenting mothers struggling with substance use disorders, allowing them to keep their young children with them while receiving care. The move comes as Arkansas grapples with staggering statistics, where parental substance use is a factor in 44% of all cases where children enter the foster care system.

A Crisis of Mothers and Children

The urgency of this new initiative is underscored by the severe maternal substance use crisis gripping Arkansas. The state has witnessed a nearly seventeen-fold increase in Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)—a condition where newborns experience withdrawal from substances they were exposed to in the womb—between 2000 and 2021. Recent data shows the NAS rate climbed to a new high of 5.1 per 1,000 births in 2021.

The human cost is matched by a significant financial burden. The median hospital stay for a baby with NAS is nine days, compared to just two for other infants, driving medical care costs up to nearly $37,000 per affected newborn. This is a stark contrast to the roughly $5,400 cost for a baby without the condition. These expenses are largely shouldered by public insurance programs like Medicaid, which covers the majority of mothers in these circumstances.

Furthermore, a report from the Arkansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee identified substance use as a leading cause of pregnancy-associated deaths in the state. With an estimated one in three mothers with young children in Arkansas in need of substance abuse treatment, the problem permeates every level of the healthcare and child welfare systems. Under the state's Garrett’s Law, healthcare providers are mandated to report newborns affected by maternal substance use to DHS, triggering a required plan for safe care that addresses the health and treatment needs of both the infant and the family.

A New Philosophy of Healing

The Family Centered Treatment-Recovery model represents a fundamental shift away from traditional, individual-focused treatment. FCT-R is a trauma-informed, home-based approach designed to engage the entire family system in the recovery process. Instead of isolating a mother in treatment, it leverages family relationships and attachment bonds as core components of healing.

"Our team is thrilled to collaborate with Arkansas DHS and OSAMH to bring FCT-R to Specialized Women's Services," said Tim Wood, CEO of the Family Centered Treatment Foundation. "This partnership reflects our shared commitment to keeping families together and providing evidence-based solutions for families affected by substance use."

This methodology is supported by a growing body of research indicating that family-based interventions lead to higher treatment engagement, better long-term outcomes, and even lower delivery costs compared to non-family models. By bringing therapy into the home environment, FCT-R directly dismantles common barriers that prevent mothers from seeking or completing treatment, such as a lack of transportation, the need for childcare, and the social stigma associated with residential care. Recognizing that up to 75% of individuals in substance use treatment have a history of trauma, the model’s trauma-informed foundation is critical to fostering a safe environment that promotes healing without re-traumatization.

Enhancing a Critical Lifeline

The FCT-R model will not be built from scratch but integrated into Arkansas's existing Specialized Women's Services (SWS) program. SWS already provides a crucial framework, offering residential treatment where mothers can live with up to two of their children (ages 0–7). These programs, operated by providers across the state, offer comprehensive services including job skills training, parenting classes, care coordination, and aftercare planning.

The integration of FCT-R is designed to enhance these existing services by adding a proven, evidence-based clinical model focused on family dynamics. The goal is to strengthen the family unit, improve communication, and create a stable support system that can sustain recovery long after formal treatment ends. This directly aligns with the state's maternal health priorities, which include reducing maternal mortality and promoting family stability.

"Parents experiencing a Substance Use Disorder need specialized support to keep families intact," stated Paula Stone, Director of the Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. "We are excited to launch this program to support Arkansas families."

Investing in a Sustainable Future

This ambitious initiative is made possible by a State Opioid Response (SOR) grant, federal funding administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to help states combat the opioid and stimulant crisis. Arkansas has received over $53 million in SOR funding since 2018, which it has used to expand access to treatment, prevention, and recovery services.

The grant will fund the essential training, supervision, and fidelity monitoring required to ensure providers can implement the FCT-R model effectively. However, the state's vision extends beyond the grant's lifecycle. Officials have announced plans to pursue Medicaid integration for the program, a critical step toward ensuring its long-term financial sustainability and making it a permanent part of the state's healthcare landscape.

By investing in a model that prevents family separation, Arkansas is not only addressing an immediate health crisis but also making a strategic investment in its future. Keeping families together reduces the number of children entering the overburdened foster care system, mitigates the long-term developmental risks for children exposed to trauma, and ultimately builds stronger, more resilient communities. With provider training already underway and site readiness assessments complete, the program is moving swiftly from plan to practice, offering a new beacon of hope for vulnerable families across the state.