Navigating Baby Loss At The Intersection Of Addiction And The Criminal Justice System

Description

Navigating baby loss at the intersection of addiction and the criminal justice syste

• Criminal justice professionals
• Addiction and substance use treatment professionals
• Social workers and family support workers
• Healthcare professionals (e.g., midwives, neonatal nurses, doctors, mental health staff)
• Victim support and counselling professionals

• Identify the unique and compounding impacts of baby loss in cases involving substance use and criminal justice involvement.
• Recognise indicators of substance use and the signs of parental trauma and grief related to baby loss.
• Understand the legal and ethical frameworks for working with this population, including issues of child protection, disclosure, and confidentiality.
• Apply trauma-informed and grief-sensitive communication techniques when interacting with bereaved parents.
• Describe and apply best-practice approaches for multi-agency collaboration in complex cases.
• Identify appropriate referral pathways and support resources for individuals and families.

• The context of baby loss, addiction, and the criminal justice system
• Defining the terms
• Societal context and Social Stigma

• Examining how baby loss grief is complicated by factors such as: Mandatory separation from babies (e.g., due to imprisonment). Guilt over substance use and the belief the death could have been prevented. Complex and potentially difficult relationships with the deceased.
• Connecting trauma, loss, and substance use, Examine how individuals may use substances to cope with the profound trauma and pain of baby loss.
• Trauma-informed and grief-sensitive practice -Principles of trauma-informed care
• How to Deliver bad news sensitively and effectively. How to conduct supportive interviews that avoid leading or accusatory language.
• How to respond with empathy to a bereaved parent who is also struggling with addiction
• Legal and ethical considerations such Safeguarding and child protection
• The challenges in being separated from surviving children
• The criminal justice process: An overview of the specific issues facing pregnant women and new mothers in the criminal justice system. This includes navigating investigations, coroner’s inquests, and other legal processes
• Considerations when a parent experiences baby loss and faces addiction issues when they have not had addiction issues previously nor exposure to the criminal justice system
• Practical support and interventions such as Harm reduction and treatment, Creating memories, Signposting and referral.
• Barriers to accessing support
• Practitioner impact and support
• Case studies included