Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) Team
When we think about drug use, we sometimes forget to consider its impact on infants and young children. If a parent has used drugs while pregnant, the unborn child can experience withdrawal symptoms after delivery. This condition is called Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). NAS affects about 250 infants in Philadelphia each year. The Division of Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction’s NAS program establishes and maintains relationships with agencies and organizations to support families of infants diagnosed with NAS, along with families affected by substance use.
To provide these resources, the NAS program created an outreach component called Philly Linking Infants and Families to Service (Philly LIFTS). The primary goal of the program is to support the families of infants diagnosed with NAS, along with families affected by substance use disorder. The program aims to “lift” parents and their children to support and services. This support comes in many forms, including but not limited to:
food referrals
baby supplies like diapers and car seats
clothing
employment assistance
referral to home visiting programs and public health nurse
support groups and recovery support
overdose prevention training.
The division’s Child and Adolescent Counselor, Suzannah McNamara, also offers families mental health support through short-term therapy sessions for children 4-21 years old and people in need of post-partum support. Additionally, Philly LIFTS offers a support group for mothers to meet with others and tell their stories. This group provides parents with a safe, non-judgmental space to share their experiences and connect with other parents. Parents are encouraged to share ideas on how Philly LIFTS can better serve them. The group has expanded to include broader populations through quarterly community celebrations and giveaways.
Need help? See Support & Services or reach out to the team directly by contacting Suzannah McNamara at suzannah.mcnamara@phila.gov for mental health support and Carla Calabrese at (215) 776-4406 or carla.calabrese@phila.gov for the support group.
Program Highlights
Whilst the team connects primarily with postpartum parents, they welcome families at all stages. By engaging with families prior to birth, the outreach specialists can connect families to services such as doula support, programs providing car seats, and more. The program’s Outreach Specialist is available and willing to provide judgment-free support.
To date, 39 percent of the families successfully contacted received diapers, 24 percent were referred to food distribution programs, 7 percent were referred to housing support, 3 percent received employment assistance, 9 percent were referred to home visiting programs and 20 percent received naloxone. Additionally, 11 percent were referred to agencies providing beds and clothing.
The PhillyLIFTs team also holds community giveaways and celebrations in partnership with organizations like the Motivated Community Resource Center. In 2022, the team held North Philly Family Day and the Holiday Community Giveaway. Both events had food, activities and games for children, and giveaways with supplies for babies and children. These events are open to all families, not just those enrolled in the program, see the calendar for any upcoming events.
Meet the team
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Deborah Hinds, MPH
NAS PROGRAM MANAGER
Deborah (she/her) has worked in the health department since 2016 and has a master’s of Public Health degree with a focus on Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Deborah’s penchants for math and improving health outcomes were the impetus for her choosing to focus on those areas. As fate would have it, her once childhood dream of becoming a pediatrician translated to serving as the Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program Epidemiologist in her first role at the health department, and her current role as manager for the NAS program. In this role, she oversees the identification of infants diagnosed with NAS through hospital reporting, analysis, and dissemination of data, communication, and partnership with area hospitals and other providers and serves as the representative of the program during conferences and stakeholder meetings. Furthermore, she supports the outreach efforts of the program’s Outreach Specialists, Faith Robinson and Carla Calabrese.
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Carla Calabrese
NAS OUTREACH SPECIALIST
carla.calabrese@phila.gov, (215) 776-4406
Carla (she/her) is a Certified Recovery Specialist that has used her lived experience to help others through her work at Prevention Point Philadelphia (PPP) where she held many different roles. During her time at PPP she supported people who use drugs in the Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) program known as STEP. Of her impact on the clients at PPP Carla says, “People used to tell me I gave them hope because if I can do it so can they. That’s what it’s all about, giving people hope, if they can hold on to hope they can do anything.” She continues to give hope in her current role as the NAS Outreach Specialist connecting mothers and birthing persons to various resources throughout Philadelphia. The services Carla provides includes referrals to job training resources, beds for families, MOUD, diapers, food, formula, and more.
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Faith Robinson
NAS OUTREACH COORDINATOR
faith.robinson@phila.gov, (215) 686-5171
Faith (she/her) started her role as a NAS Outreach Specialist in 2019, her education in sociology has helped her to gain and maintain partnerships, engage in the community, and work in a diverse environment. She conducts focus groups, coordinates community events, and helped implement the diaper bank within the program. Faith continuously advocates for the Black community and the vulnerable population here in Philadelphia. Her targeted efforts in the Black community within Philadelphia have helped to address the disparate responses to the substance use epidemic among Whites and marginalized populations. One such effort is her partnership with a local behavioral health organization where Faith supports Black women in recovery through hosting empowerment sessions. These sessions offer a safe space for the participants to talk with peers about a myriad of issues. Through this and many more planned initiatives, Faith continues her thoughtful community engagement.