In Recent Years, Fatal Overdoses Among Pregnant And Postpartum Women Has More Than Tripled Nationally
Las Vegas, Nev. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined local community leaders at Roseman University to highlight free recovery resources available to Nevada moms with opioid and substance use disorders to heal and support their families in the EMPOWER program, which she helped create and fund through bipartisan federal legislation.
“EMPOWERED is making a difference in our communities helping moms with substance use disorder access critical services to provide for their babies, and I’m proud to have helped deliver funding to support their efforts,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “From connecting them to lifesaving treatment to helping them apply to jobs, this program is eliminating barriers to help these mothers get healthy.”
“We’re so grateful to Senator Cortez Masto for helping support the hundreds of moms EMPOWERED serves and for taking the time to visit our facilities,” said Andria Petersen, PharmD, EMPOWERED’s Executive Director and Co-founder. “Thanks to those efforts, we are expanding our services to reach more Nevadans at a time when drug overdose remains the leading cause of maternal mortality. We look forward to keep helping moms and babies recover and become more resilient.”
“EMPOWERED has had a profound impact on the lives of hundreds of pregnant and recently postpartum individuals using opioids or stimulants and need support in their recovery and stabilization, and to become resilient,” said Andria Peterson, PharmD, EMPOWERED’s Executive Director and Co-founder. “Ultimately, our goal is to empower individuals to be prepared for the birth of their babies, and to thrive as caregivers.”
“I love this program. They’re always there for you, and they always have great resources,” said Amani Wilson, a former client and recently hired as a program coordinator at EMPOWERED.
Established in 2018, this program helps 125 mother and babies in Southern Nevada annually connect to medical treatment, access peer recovery and support services, and gain economic stability—including food security, affordable housing, GED, and job training assistance.
Senator Cortez Masto is fighting to reauthorize bipartisan federal legislation providing funding to programs like EMPOWERED to bolster prevention, treatment, and recovery services for Nevadans with mental health and substance use and disorders.
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