Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies developed Look Closer, a public messaging campaign that is focused on decreasing the negative biases surrounding perinatal SUDs and increasing kindness and compassion to promote recovery.
Look Closer Campaign
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies developed Look Closer, a public messaging campaign that is focused on decreasing the negative biases surrounding perinatal SUDs and increasing kindness and compassion to promote recovery.
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies developed Look Closer, a public messaging campaign that is focused on decreasing the negative biases surrounding perinatal SUDs and increasing kindness and compassion to promote recovery.
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies developed Look Closer, a public messaging campaign that is focused on decreasing the negative biases surrounding perinatal SUDs and increasing kindness and compassion to promote recovery.
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies developed Look Closer, a public messaging campaign that is focused on decreasing the negative biases surrounding perinatal SUDs and increasing kindness and compassion to promote recovery.
Perinatal Substance Use
Tough times for Montana families are showing up in the form of substance dependence. In pregnancy and the first year of motherhood, this is referred to as perinatal substance use disorder. Substance use disorder (SUD) is a disease that affects a person’s brain chemistry, leading to an inability to control their use of a substance such as alcohol, legal or illegal drugs, or medications. There is no question that using alcohol and drugs when pregnant is harmful to a developing child. So, why is this happening and what can we do to help?
Oftentimes, the reasons for use are linked to pain and stress from childhood trauma and loss. Many women who struggling with unhealthy substance use are accustomed to loneliness and shame, feelings that are common in new motherhood. But our belief is that the opposite of addiction is connection.
We hope to change the paradigm and give providers the language and skills to engage with moms struggling with substance use. When moms seek care, meet them with compassion. Never underestimate the power of one kind interaction. It could change a life… maybe two.
Our Why
Rates are on the rise for drug overdose, alcoholic liver disease, and suicide. Referred to as diseases of despair, these conditions are often the result of feelings of hopelessness, believing that you don’t matter, anxiety, and pain from trauma. These diseases affect moms, too. Drug overdose and suicide combined are the leading cause of death in the year following childbirth for new moms.
Depression is the number one complication of childbirth, and drug overdose and suicide combined are the leading cause of death in the year following childbirth for new moms.
Provider Resources
Training on the topic of perinatal mental health is available in Montana. Use the links below to access a few helpful recordings:
- Watch the keynote sessions from our 2020 conference about “The Power of Pregnancy for Women with Substance Use Disorders” and “Pot, Pills, and Powdery Substances” by Dr. Marcela Smid
- Watch the PRISM ECHO about “Screening and Management of Substance Use Disorders in the Perinatal Period”
- Watch the MOMS Project ECHO, “AIM: Care for Pregnant and Postpartum People with Substance Use Disorder,” by Brett Bell, MD, MPH
There is a growing body of Montana focused reports and data sources to help us understand perinatal substance use. Access a few of them below.
- Read the report, “Access to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women: Challenges, Barriers and Opportunities in Montana“
- Watch a presentation by Katie Loveland at the 2021 Montana Perinatal Mental Health Conference on the study’s findings
- Learn more from this research brief published by Montana Public Health Institute about needs and opportunities to improve treatments and outcomes
The Academy of Perinatal Harm Reduction, in partnership with the National Harm Reduction Coalition, produced a toolkit specific to serving pregnant people who use substances and their families.
We know that social connection is critical to overall health and wellbeing, especially in recovery and in the perinatal period. Talk to your patient about finding groups and peer support near them, including:
- Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, listed on LIFTS
- Drop-in centers and peer specialists from Montana Peer Network
- Locally focused peer support groups from Big Sky GPS
Maria Russell, LCSW, talks about changing the paradigm on how to care for pregnant women on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Watch her full interview here.
The Campaign
Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies developed Look Closer, a public messaging campaign that is focused on decreasing the negative biases surrounding perinatal SUDs and increasing kindness and compassion to promote recovery.
This work was developed after a scan of current treatment options and messaging, as well as a series of focus groups engaging the target audience, including those with lived SUD experience. The final report, “Gathering the Voices of Perinatal Substance Use in Montana,” is available for reading here.
The images for this campaign can be seen on this page. The mothers featured in each image depict a different situation, including raising children in a tribal community or on a ranch, parenting as a young mother, serving in the military during motherhood, or raising many children at once. This campaign is visible around the state, with imagery targeted to the community where the posters are placed. The media buy includes the following outlets:
- Montana Newspaper Association, featured in 38 digital newsletters
- Off the Wall Advertising, which advertises in bathroom stalls at restaurants, bars, and casinos, as well as the Washington Grizzly Stadium and Bobcat Stadium
- Parent Company Advertising, displaying digitally in newspapers in Billings, Missoula, Butte, and Helena
Customize for Your Community
Our intent for the Look Closer Campaign is for providers and organizations to be able to customize materials to resonate in their communities so that the message grows and continues to empower mothers and caregivers. If you are interested in broadening the scope of the campaign materials for your community’s use, please review the Brand Standards and sign and submit a Memorandum of Understanding to brie@hmhb-mt.org. We would love to partner with you and continue to share Look Closer’s message of hope and resilience.
LIFTS Project
New motherhood is often isolating, but feelings of loneliness and shame are even more common for pregnant women battling substance use. Through the LIFTS project, HMHB aims to build community connections for people in the perinatal period. The LIFTS Magazine shares stories of Montana parenthood, allowing readers to connect over similar experiences. And once they’re ready for help, the LIFTS Online Resource Guide provides them with services and family-friendly events to find their community of support.
