The Challenge: Early Intervention for Every Infant
Prenatal substance exposure can impact infant physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development. Early intervention is key to reducing developmental delays, but mistrust of the healthcare system and lack of reliable contact information can make connecting seem impossible.
When New Mexico partnered its CARA program with CBCS, the goal was clear: support families—especially mothers and their substance-exposed newborns—in the earliest and most vulnerable stages of life.
Mistrust of the healthcare system creates barriers for patients with SUD in accessing needed care and resources.
- 34% of individuals with SUD report forgoing care due to fear of judgment
- Almost all individuals with SUD report experiencing either medical or social mistreatment from healthcare providers because of their SUD
The Solution: Meeting Families Where They Are — 24/7/365
Many of the families CBCS worked with had fallen through the cracks of the system—with unreliable phone access, homelessness, and a deeply rooted mistrust of the healthcare and child welfare system. “We had to get creative,” shares Crystal Salazar, New Mexico Program Director. “That meant knocking on doors, showing up at hospitals, and calling primary care providers for leads.” Additionally, the CBCS team used real-time EHR alerts to know when a baby had been admitted to the ER. “We knew we had to work fast, and 24/7/365, because with early intervention programs like this, timing is everything.”
Program objectives:
Reach the Unreachable
Unlike previous care coordination systems, CBCS took a persistent, boots-on-the-ground approach—canvassing neighborhoods and building with empathy.
Provide Immediate Needs
The program quickly provided essentials such as food, diapers, formula, strollers, and car seats. These simple acts were often the first step in building trust.
Navigate Systemic Barriers
CBCS provided consistent support to mothers navigating bureaucratic red tape to receive necessary medical, housing, food, and other ongoing support.
Healing Relationships for Healing Treatment
When it came to enrollee engagement, CBCS care navigators understood that the best way to build trust wasn’t with a brochure. It was with a warm meal or a pack of diapers. CBCS navigators used set-aside funds to meet immediate needs: formula, clothing, car seats, a stroller—whatever it took to reduce the chaos and offer stability that day.
Additionally, navigators offered a steady presence and their own lived experience—fostering resilience for these mothers alongside existing goals of reaching developmental milestones in children.
“You’d be surprised what a difference it makes just to have someone there,” shares Salazar. “No judgment. Just support.”
“You don’t get a second chance with a newborn. Every day matters. And when you see a mom start believing she can actually do this—you don’t forget that.”
-Crystal Salazar
New Mexico Program Manager
Key Results
- Increased participation in early intervention programs and well-child checkups.
- Improved housing stability and access to employment for several caregivers
- Re-engagement of disengaged families with primary care and case management.
Success Stories:
One young mother was disconnected from her older children and larger family when she started the CARA program with CBCS. Dealing with profound shame, the mother finally opened up after care navigators bought her groceries and a coat. Over the weeks, they built a relationship that led to consistent medical care for the baby, improved outcomes for the mother, and a path toward reunification with her older children.
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