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Indiana will expand its Pregnancy Promise Program to support more expectant and new mothers with substance use disorders. The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) received a three-year, up to $2.7 million federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which will allow it to support an additional 300 pregnant Hoosiers over the next three years, with a focus on those living in rural and under-resourced communities.

“The program’s multigeneration approach supports pregnant women and infants from the prenatal period through 12 months postpartum,” FSSA Secretary Dr. Dan Rusyniak said. “Not only are we helping mothers find treatment and sustain recovery, but we also ensure infants have an established pediatrician, appropriate referrals to pediatric specialists as needed, and developmental support services.”

The Pregnancy Promise Program has supported more than 900 mothers since it launched in 2021. While maternal and infant mortality rates are decreasing slightly across Indiana, data from the most recent Indiana Maternal Morality Review Committee’s annual report shows substance use disorder and overdose continues to be a leading cause of maternal death in the state.

The program has resulted in high rates of sustained recovery for mothers, continuity of medications prescribed to treat opioid use disorder, prevention of preterm births, healthy infant birth weights, and access to resources to address unmet health related and social needs including stable housing, transportation, food security and child care, leading to family preservation and reunification.

The Pregnancy Promise Program partners with Indiana Medicaid managed care health plans to provide case management and care coordination services to participants who receive highly skilled support from an experienced nurse or social worker through the Medicaid health plan, ensuring pregnant individuals are receiving treatment and health care in their local community.

“We are excited about this grant, which will bolster and expand FSSA’s existing program for pregnant individuals suffering from substance-use,” Pregnancy Promise program manager Elizabeth Wahl said. “The program’s goals are clear — to save infant and maternal lives, preserve family units by securing needed resources, ensure reliable access to appropriate care and put an end to generational cycles of substance use and trauma. This program has witnessed families persevere, transform their lives and find hope for the future.”

The grant will expand services for pregnant and postpartum individuals with a primary diagnosis of a substance use disorder; remove barriers and expand outpatient treatment and recovery support services for pregnant and postpartum individuals with a substance use disorder; and promote a coordinated system of care across health care and family support providers.

The FSSA will partner with Centerstone, a community mental health center, and VOA Fresh Start, a residential treatment program, to enhance services. This funding will allow uninsured and under-insured pregnant individuals access to additional support.

Anyone can make a confidential referral to the Pregnancy Promise Program here.

The program has been funded with a five-year award from the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Innovation, which ends Dec. 31. This grant is scheduled to begin Sept. 30.

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Rising temperatures mean that you may see a natural fish die-off in the summer months. There are various reasons you may spot one:

Increased water temperatures cause increased stress on fish, due to the drop in dissolved oxygen in the water. When dissolved oxygen levels are too low, many fish cannot survive. Rapid temperature fluctuations can also cause fish to become more susceptible to infections.
Stress from overpopulation and increased competition for resources, such as dissolved oxygen, can result in increased fish deaths.

While fish die-offs are natural in the summer, you can still report them at on.IN.gov/sickwildlife. Find resources for managing your own private ponds on our website.

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The Falls of the Ohio Foundation will host Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper for their annual benefit concert, Rock the Rocks - Presented by Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. The live outdoor concert on the 390-million-year-old fossil beds of the Falls of the Ohio State Park, located at 201 West Riverside Drive, will take place on Saturday, September 28, at 4 p.m. Opening will be Dean Heckel and The Jason Carter Band.

“We couldn’t be more excited to have these three incredible artists on the fossil beds of the Falls of the Ohio State Park,” said Kenton Wooden, executive director of the Foundation. “This is a truly unique concert experience that helps us highlight and steward the natural, cultural, and historic resources of this amazing landscape. There is nowhere else in the world where you can embed yourself into a landscape millions of years in the making, surrounded by natural beauty and the sounds of these incredible artists.”

Rock the Rocks is being presented by the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, home of Kentucky’s first distiller who got his start on the banks of the Ohio River. All tickets include free food and drink, with a portion of every ticket supporting the mission of the Falls of the Ohio Foundation. Tickets are on sale at https://www.fallsoftheohio.org/.

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The Indigenous People of Tribes will be holding a gathering at the Washington County Fairgrounds on Saturday August 10th and Sunday the 11th (August 9th date has been canceled). This gathering is open to all Tribes and to any members of the public who are interested in learning about Native American culture.

Admission is $3.00, and children 10 years old and under are free. The fairgrounds are located at 118 Fair Street, Salem, IN, and the gates open at 10 a.m with the grand entry being at 12 p.m. on both days.

Vendors will be present, selling items such as handmade jewelry, dream catchers, soap, etc. To top it off, there will also be drums, dancing and food available. Namely buffalo burgers.

For more information, contact Corbin James at (812) 416-2013, and visit the Indigenous People of Tribes Facebook page.