Marijuana and Pregnancy: A Public Health Perspective
Jan
15

Marijuana and Pregnancy: A Public Health Perspective

With the legalization of recreational use of marijuana, rates of use during pregnancy have steadily increased. At the same time, public health messages have failed to communicate the possible negative effects of marijuana on pregnancy and child outcome. This session will describe the action of marijuana on the developing fetal brain, its impact on maternal and infant mortality and morbidity, and implications of prenatal marijuana exposure on the child’s neurodevelopment. This information can be used to create strategies for prevention.

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Communicating the Danger: Prenatal Fentanyl Exposure and the Vulnerable Child
Mar
19

Communicating the Danger: Prenatal Fentanyl Exposure and the Vulnerable Child

Fentanyl use during pregnancy places the prenatally exposed child not only at high risk for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) in infancy but increasing neurodevelopmental challenges as the child grows and develops. However, given the highly addictive nature of fentanyl and its impact on the physiologic functioning of the brain of the adult with fentanyl use disorder, communicating this risk is frequently very difficult. This session will present the effects of fentanyl use on the adult brain, discuss the impact of prenatal fentanyl exposure on the exposed child, and provide a conceptual framework for communicating with an adult with a substance use disorder.

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Stigma and Bias in the Healthcare System: What can we do about it?
Jun
18

Stigma and Bias in the Healthcare System: What can we do about it?

Stigma and bias are rooted in societal norms and attitudes that frequently are communicated on a personal level. Recognizing that effective healthcare often relies on our personal relationship with our patients and clients, acknowledging and correcting stigma is an essential step in supporting the growth and health of not only those patients and clients but also ourselves. This session will examine the history of attitudes toward substance use, misuse, and abuse in the U.S., will examine societal norms that allow bias and stigma to become embedded in the healthcare system, and will discuss how caring clinicians can examine and correct their own behaviors and communication styles in ways that will promote positive outcomes for our patients and clients.

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Psychosocial Risk for Pregnant and Parenting Women with a History of Substance Misuse: Building a Foundation for Gender-Specific Treatment and Care
Sep
18

Psychosocial Risk for Pregnant and Parenting Women with a History of Substance Misuse: Building a Foundation for Gender-Specific Treatment and Care

A history of personal or intergenerational trauma, beyond its impact on health and mental health, can impact an individual's view of the world and readiness to parent. This session will present a framework for understanding the impact of a pregnant or parenting woman’s personal history on her ability to accept health information and advice and how clinicians can use the information as a basis for developing and providing gender-specific treatment and care.

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Recovery Happens
Sep
4

Recovery Happens

During the month of September, National Recovery Month aims to increase awareness and educate people about how substance use and mental health services can help people and their families live healthy and rewarding lives. With the right treatment, support, and resources, recovery is possible for everyone.

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Make Room for Daddy: Engaging Fathers in Addressing the Needs of Families Affected by Substance Use in Pregnancy
Jun
12

Make Room for Daddy: Engaging Fathers in Addressing the Needs of Families Affected by Substance Use in Pregnancy

Presented by Ira J. Chasnoff, MD

Most research and work in the field of perinatal substance use and misuse focuses on the pregnant and parenting woman. But the father of the baby can plan an important role in the woman’s cessation of substance use as well as influencing a positive developmental trajectory. This webinar will present the latest information regarding the impact of a male’s use of substances on reproductive outcome and consequences for the child’s long-term development. Strategies for engaging the father in family treatment services also will be discussed.

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Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome vs. Neonatal Neurobehavioral Deficits: The Importance of a Correct Diagnosis
Mar
20

Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome vs. Neonatal Neurobehavioral Deficits: The Importance of a Correct Diagnosis

Neonatal abstinence syndrome [NAS] is a diagnosis that originally was restricted to infants going through withdrawal due to the effects of prenatal opioid exposure. However, over time, the term began to be applied to infants with jitteriness and irritability following prenatal exposure to other substances. A new term, Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS), recently emerged to ensure specificity in the diagnosis of infants affected by prenatal exposure to opioids. Whichever term is used, how do clinicians differentiate the effects of and infants’ dependence on opioids from infants with neurobehavioral deficits due to non-opioid exposure. This session will address that question and provide an effective approach to diagnosing NOWS in the newborn infant.

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Psychosocial Risk for Pregnant and Parenting Women with a History of Substance Misuse: Building a Foundation for Gender-specific Treatment and Care
Nov
6

Psychosocial Risk for Pregnant and Parenting Women with a History of Substance Misuse: Building a Foundation for Gender-specific Treatment and Care

This session will present a framework for understanding the impact of a pregnant or parenting woman’s personal history on her ability to accept health information and advice and how clinicians can avoid stigmatizing language as they address the issue of substance use in pregnancy.

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Putting It All Together: Ensuring Best Outcomes for Families and Children Affected by Perinatal Substance Use
Feb
9

Putting It All Together: Ensuring Best Outcomes for Families and Children Affected by Perinatal Substance Use

SAC County Healthy Beginnings is only a beginning. As the County moves forward, this webinar will review the achievements and challenges of Healthy Beginnings’ first year and bring all the pieces of the puzzle together to lay out strategies for providing prevention and intervention services for families affected by substance use and misuse in pregnancy.

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Opiates, Methamphetamine and Cocaine: Changes in Brain Functioning in the Exposed Child
Nov
15
to Nov 25

Opiates, Methamphetamine and Cocaine: Changes in Brain Functioning in the Exposed Child

Although the opioid epidemic has captured the headlines, rates of methamphetamine use during pregnancy have remain unabated, and cocaine use is beginning to reappear among pregnant women. This session will examine the neurobiology of opiate, methamphetamine and cocaine use in pregnancy and present the short-term and long-term implications of prenatal exposure on the exposed child.

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Marijuana and Pregnancy: A Public Health Perspective
Nov
10
to Nov 25

Marijuana and Pregnancy: A Public Health Perspective

With the legalization of recreational marijuana, rates of use during pregnancy have steadily increased. At the same time, public health messages have failed to communicate the possible negative effects of marijuana on pregnancy and child outcome. This session will describe the action of marijuana on the developing fetal brain, its impact on maternal and infant mortality and morbidity and implications of prenatal marijuana exposure on the child’s neurodevelopment and will raise the question of effective public health messaging.

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Nourishing Connections: Breastfeeding by the Woman with a History of Substance Misuse
Nov
9
to Nov 25

Nourishing Connections: Breastfeeding by the Woman with a History of Substance Misuse

Make no mistake. We want women to breastfeed. However, if the woman has a history of substance misuse, we must be careful to protect the infant from exposure to substances that may harm the child in either the short- or long-term. This webinar will examine the biochemical features of substances of misuse and describe their clinical impact on the success of breastfeeding and the possible impact on infant growth and development.

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Building Resilience in the Face of Trauma
Nov
1

Building Resilience in the Face of Trauma

A history of personal or intergenerational trauma, beyond its impact on health and mental health, can impact an individual's view of the world and readiness to accept health information and advice. This session will present a framework for understanding the impact of trauma on individuals and communities, with a focus on pregnant women and their families, and discuss how a trauma-informed framework can be applied to addressing issues of substance misuse, violence, and mental health difficulties in pregnant and parenting women and their families.

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Prenatal Substance Exposure and the Developing Child
Aug
10

Prenatal Substance Exposure and the Developing Child

Substance use in pregnancy continues to be a significant factor in the morbidity and mortality associated with pregnancy and the newborn. However, the impact on the child continues over his or her lifespan. This session will examine the structural and functional changes in the developing fetal brain induced by prenatal substance exposure and demonstrate how these changes ultimately impact learning and behavior in substance-exposed children.

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Back by Popular Demand: Prenatal Substance Exposure – Mother and Infant
Aug
9

Back by Popular Demand: Prenatal Substance Exposure – Mother and Infant

Substance use in pregnancy continues to be a significant factor in the morbidity and mortality associated with pregnancy and the newborn and can interfere with the development of a nurturing relationship between mother and child. Most of these complications are preventable, however, if the woman at risk for substance use is identified early and provided appropriate interventions and treatment. This program will present a validated technique for screening pregnant women for substance use, providing brief interventions in the prenatal setting, and conducting appropriate referral of women for gender-specific treatment.

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Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome vs. Neurobehavioral Deficits in the Newborn: The Differential Diagnosis
Jul
7

Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome vs. Neurobehavioral Deficits in the Newborn: The Differential Diagnosis

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a diagnosis that originally was restricted to infants going through withdrawal because of prenatal opioid exposure. However, over time, the term began to be applied to infants with jitteriness and irritability following prenatal exposure to other substances. A new term, neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), recently emerged to ensure specificity in the diagnosis of infants affected by prenatal exposure to opioids. Whichever term is used, how do clinicians differentiate the effects of and infants’ dependence on opioids from infants with neurobehavioral deficits due to non-opioid exposure. This session will address that question and provide an effective approach to diagnosing NOWS in the newborn infant.

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Building Resilience in the Face of Trauma
Jun
21

Building Resilience in the Face of Trauma

A history of personal or intergenerational trauma, beyond its impact on health and mental health, can impact an individual's view of the world and readiness to accept health information and advice. This session will present a framework for understanding the impact of trauma on individuals and communities and discuss how a trauma-informed framework can be applied to addressing issues of substance misuse, violence, and mental health difficulties in pregnant and parenting women and their families.

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ONLINE TRAINING: SUBSTANCE USE IN PREGNANCY – MOTHER AND NEWBORN, May 24
May
24

ONLINE TRAINING: SUBSTANCE USE IN PREGNANCY – MOTHER AND NEWBORN, May 24

Substance use in pregnancy continues to be a significant factor in the morbidity and mortality associated with pregnancy and the newborn and can interfere with the development of a nurturing relationship between mother and child. Most of these complications are preventable, however, if the woman at risk for substance use is identified early and provided appropriate interventions and treatment. This program will present a validated technique for screening pregnant women for substance use, providing brief interventions in the prenatal setting, and conducting appropriate referral of women for gender-specific treatment.

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ONLINE TRAINING: SUBSTANCE USE IN PREGNANCY – MOTHER AND NEWBORN, May 23
May
23

ONLINE TRAINING: SUBSTANCE USE IN PREGNANCY – MOTHER AND NEWBORN, May 23

Substance use in pregnancy continues to be a significant factor in the morbidity and mortality associated with pregnancy and the newborn and can interfere with the development of a nurturing relationship between mother and child. Most of these complications are preventable, however, if the woman at risk for substance use is identified early and provided appropriate interventions and treatment. This program will present a validated technique for screening pregnant women for substance use, providing brief interventions in the prenatal setting, and conducting appropriate referral of women for gender-specific treatment.

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Is Prevention an Ethical Obligation?
Apr
12

Is Prevention an Ethical Obligation?

This program will present four basic principles of ethical prevention, especially as prevention addresses the needs of pregnant and parenting women, children, and families - therapeutic intent, do no harm, justice and respect for autonomy - and explore the role of Sacramento County citizens, community leadership, and the SACCounty Healthy Beginnings initiative in supporting a comprehensive prevention and early intervention system of care that will promote family health and well-being.

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