The state’s only addiction inpatient treatment center for pregnant and parenting women opens next week.
Gaudenzia is a non-profit provider of treatment for substance use disorder, and it’s opening the Claymont Center for Pregnant & Parenting Women.
It will be the state’s first addiction inpatient treatment center for pregnant and parenting women, and will be funded with a $3.2 million contract from the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. Highmark Delaware contributed $700,000 to cover renovation costs.
Gaudenzia President and CEO Dr. Dale Klatzker says this is the result of a public/private partnership.
"The state recognized from its data that there was a significant problem for pregnant and parenting women. We acknowledged that as well as a provider of the community, and we worked together actively for the last year plus to try to put this together and here we are so it's terrific,” said Klatzker. “The mothers in Delaware who have a substance use disorder, there now is a place for them to go."
The site was renovated and repurposed, and there are two levels of care for up to 20 women with substance use disorders with up to 40 children – two per client.
One floor will be set aside for 10 women needing high-intensity, clinically managed residential treatment with the other floor for 10 women needing lower-intensity services.
Each floor will include on-site medical and psychiatric services, case-management, on-site childcare, meals, room and board. There is also 24-hour supervision and access to those services.
"Women with a substance use disorder will get their treatment here, they'll get their parenting skills here, their children - up to two children - will be able to live with them so they're not removed, people are not removed from each other," said Klatzker.
The center opens on July 1.
