Subrecipient Highlight: Remedies Renewing Lives 

Remedies Renewing Lives (Remedies) is a 501(c)(3) organization committed to renewing the lives of individuals affected by addiction, mental health issues, and domestic violence. It is one of four subrecipients of the Supportive Services and Treatment for Accessible Recovery–Together (START) for Pregnant and Postpartum Persons and Their Families program. 

This funding provides Remedies an opportunity to address the impact of opiate and substance use on maternal and baby health through workforce development and partnership building. 

Accomplishments 

Since the start of the program in September 2024, Remedies has become fully staffed with the addition of two doulas and two peer support specialists. Of the latter, both achieved their initial training goals and continue to work on their Certified Recovery Support Specialist or Certified Peer Recovery Specialist credentials. 

“Remedies is separate roles for the doulas and peer support specialists,” notes Remedies staff. “We find that the separation of these roles contributes to an enriched experience for the clients and their families, as the staff can concentrate on service delivery within their respective area of expertise.” 

The doulas and peer support specialists accompany clients throughout their recovery journey, pregnancies, and postpartum, keeping in close communication with assigned substance use disorder counselors. 

Lessons Learned 

Remedies facilitated this collaboration by establishing boundaries for staff roles and implementing policies for protecting the organization, staff, and its clients. The Remedies staff also soon realized the value of an electronic health record for tracking case management services, total clients served, and tasks completed. 

Positive Outcomes 

Grant reporting may be a work in progress, but positive outcomes are already happening. Since its launch, the START program at Remedies has served 18 pregnant and postpartum people and their children and welcomed the arrival of two healthy babies. One client has been substance-free for 8 months and is enrolled in drug court. She is working with Remedies staff and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to reestablish custody of her children and was recently granted unsupervised visits with her oldest child.