Cutting-Edge Practice
Children and Recovering Mothers (CHARM) Team
State/Jurisdiction: Vermont
Setting: Community
Population: Infant Women & Maternal
Topic Area: Mental Health & Substance Use Care Coordination Birth Outcomes
NPMs:
The Children And Recovering Mothers (CHARM) Team is a multi-disciplinary collaborative initiative based in Chittenden County, Vermont, serving pregnant and postpartum women with a history of opioid use disorder (OUD) and their infants. While primarily focused on Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle counties, the program also supports individuals outside these areas who receive care at the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC), which acts as a natural catchment area.
Women with OUD who are pregnant or postpartum face challenges to coordinated care, including fragmented access to medical treatment, behavioral health support, and child welfare services. Many participants have a history of polysubstance use, though the eligibility criteria focus on OUD or a history of OUD. Addressing basic needs such as housing stability, financial support, and access to peer recovery services, is critical to improving maternal and infant health outcomes.
CHARM was created in response to providers recognizing the need for enhanced collaboration to address gaps in care for pregnant women with OUD. A neonatologist and an OB/GYN working in Vermont in the late 1990s/early 2000s led the effort to bring together key partners. This effort evolved into a structured, multi-agency case review model that continues today.
The key populations served by the CHARM Team are:
• Pregnant and postpartum women with OUD and their infants
• Primarily based in Chittenden County, VT
• Participants receiving care at UVMMC, regardless of residence
Since the early 2000s, CHARM has worked to enhance coordination among service providers to improve health and safety outcomes for both birthing women and infants. The team meets monthly to review cases and develop comprehensive care plans, ensuring that pregnant and parenting women receive integrated support across medical, behavioral health, and social services.
CHARM’s guiding philosophy is that when pregnant and postpartum women are well-supported, their infants have better health and safety outcomes. While child welfare is a key partner, the team approaches its work through the lens of maternal and child health (MCH) rather than punitive intervention, focusing on harm reduction, access to care, and financial stability.
CHARM has rolling client enrollment but strives to get a client enrolled as soon as possible since pregnancy is a powerful opportunity for support. Clients need to sign a consent form and will be followed from enrollment (hopefully prenatally) until one year postpartum.
Over the years, the core goals of CHARM have remained the same:
• Improve maternal and infant health outcomes through coordinated, comprehensive care
• Reduce challenges to prenatal and postpartum care for women with OUD
• Foster collaboration between healthcare, substance use treatment, child welfare, and social service providers
• Address challenges that prevent effective support for this population
The Perinatal Substance Use Disorder Implementation & Policy Hub project is supported by the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) and Perigee Fund. The content presented is the responsibility of the featured practices and policies and does not necessarily reflect the views of FORE, Perigee Fund, or AMCHP.
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CONTACT INFORMATION
KidSafe Collaborative
Meghan Masterson;
meghanm@kidsafevt.org
Practice Website
For more information about this practice, please email evidence@amchp.org