Published: October 11, 2008 10:28 pm         

MOTHER Program helps women beat addictions

Any woman 18 or older who wants to beat drug or alcohol addition could be a candidate for a recovery program operated through FMRS Health Systems Inc.

The Maternal Options Toward a Healthy Environment for Recovery is a six-month program that offers a variety of services to help women.

“Many women are surprised that even though this is called the MOTHER program, they do not have to be mothers to be part of this,” said Linda Lane, activities director.

Participants can be ordered by a court, the Child Protective Services or self-committed.

“Judges and prosecuting attorneys often see the MOTHER program as a second chance for women caught up in substance abuse,” Lane said. “It’s a good first option for a woman who wants to get clean. If she doesn’t, jail may be the alternative.”

The program is divided into phases. Women can live at home and participate through an outpatient program or choose to live on the third floor of Pine Haven Homeless Services, which is dedicated specifically to the MOTHER program.

Women follow a tight schedule of meetings, therapy and mandated daily meeting with Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous.

“The program isn’t about quitting drugs and alcohol. It’s about learning to live without them,” Lane said. “Many of these women don’t know how to go to a party or a dance or any other activity that doesn’t involve drugs or drinking. They have to learn to think a whole different way about how they are living their lives.”

After the intensive phase of the program, women are moved into the advanced segment, where they get a job in the community and begin to learn how to manage a budget, be a better parent, hold down a job and adopt a lifestyle free of substance abuse.

The extended phase of the program helps women transition further into the community by living in a house with other MOTHER participants. They hold down a job, pay rent and share household responsibilities as they prepare to live independently.

Along the way, Lane helps to organize events that help the women engage in substance-free activities.

“Many of these women have never been to the outdoor dramas or gone to picnics or movies. Some of them really enjoy getting involved in beautification projects and in activities where they can begin to develop a healthy sense of self-esteem,” Lane said.

Not every participant becomes a success story, but when Lane gets a call from a woman who went through the program and returned to her old life, she knows MOTHER has made a difference.

“That woman may have messed up, but she knows where she can get help. When I get that call, I’m encouraged, because it means she wants to try again. It’s not how many times someone falls down that counts. It’s how many times they pick themselves up and try again that matters,” Lane said. “When they’re ready to try again, we’re here to help them.”

— E-mail: bdavis@register-herald.com