My Brother’s Keeper is part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Pregnant and Postpartum Women (PPW) grant partnership between Santa Maria Hostel, Inc. and the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX.
Overview
My Brother’s Keeper is a male-to- male bonding initiative through the Maternal
Initiative for Reflective Recovery Oriented Residential Services (MIRRORS) program
at Santa Maria Hostel, Inc. in partnership with the Baylor College of Medicine in
Houston, TX. Santa Maria is Texas’ largest multi-site residential and outpatient
substance use disorder treatment center and one of the very few to provide a
comprehensive continuum of care for pregnant and parenting women and their
children. MIRRORS’ emphasis is on total health and wellness and family
reunification for positive and sober living.
My Brother’s Keeper initiative is an integrated service of the MIRRORS program and
is strengthened through a comprehensive, coordinated, targeted family systems
approach. In this program, the male family engagement coach focuses on engaging
the male parents or male father figures who may co-parent the children of MIRRORS
female participants with a goal of serving populations experiencing health
disparities and restructuring services for these populations with strategies to
maintain sober living and positive tools for family sustainability.
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Summary of Innovative Program
Special Populations
The My Brother’s Keeper initiative supports the male counterparts of pregnant/postpartum women who are high-risk, along with their children and families from Houston, Harris County & 12 surrounding counties. While working with the male family engagement coach, these men attend individual sessions as well as support and parenting groups.
Providing outreach and engagement through the initiation of educational, recreational and social recovery activities and recovery support groups is the core foundation of My Brother’s Keeper. The men in this program are currently working through the Nurturing Fathers Program, a 13-week parenting curriculum for men. This curriculum promotes the development of positive skills and attitudes toward more effective parenting and helps further the male experience of accountability. The men in the group also learn communication skills to support sober lifestyle changes for themselves and their partners.
The goal is that the men involved in the My Brother’s Keeper initiative will be successfully equipped with the tools and information needed to help assist their partners in the road to recovery and family reunification, so that together, they all can live healthy, successful, productive and self-fulfilling lives.
Program Replication Tips
My Brother’s Keeper is a recent addition to the MIRRORS program and continues to develop as new ideas and community partnerships arise. It is the intent of the program to develop strong community relations and continue to broaden the initiative through networking opportunities. Suggested replication tips include:
- Network and encourage attendance to community engagement events in areas of job development and resources, financial coaching, parenting resources, recovery coaching and sober social outreach, couples counseling and family activities.
- Provide participants an opportunity to express their concerns and build the program cohesively.
- Allow room for flexibility as participants often bring suggestions that can be incorporated into the program.
- Once they have completed the program, follow-up with participants to help them connect with community resources and counseling to aid in their success.
Policy & Financing Strategies
This initiative is a part of the MIRRORS program. Funding received from SAMHSA under the PPW grant.
Impact / Results
The initial impact of our specialized programming for male counterparts of female participants has shown a great sense of commitment from the male counterparts to develop better coping and communication skills, family values and positive reunification strategies as well as emphasis on sober living for long-term recovery. The program is growing and it will continue to offer sustainable goals for better quality of life for all participants and families of recovery.
Sharing of Information Welcomed
For additional information, contact Director of Integrated Health and Family Services and MIRRORS Program Director Ms. Faye Bland and Family Male Engagement Coach, Mr. Terrill Taylor at Santa Maria Hostel, Inc. Fbland@santamariahostel.org; 713-691-0900, ext. 2140
Agency Contact Information