About the Program
A community team for healthy pregnancies
Perinatal Cluster specializes in helping mothers create a Plan of Safe Care (POSC) to support a safe and healthy pregnancy, birth, and infancy.
The Fairfield County Perinatal Cluster is a group formed to support and plan for healthy pregnancies, especially for women struggling with challenges like homelessness, addiction, lack of access to prenatal care, and transportation issues.
The Perinatal Cluster is comprised of experts and caring service providers from the medical, social services, mental health, and treatment communities who meet to share creative solutions, explore resources, and assist women with maintaining a healthy pregnancy and healthy birth.
Through cross-system collaboration, the Perinatal Cluster assists in ensuring delivery of comprehensive services outlined in Plans of Safe Care.
Plan of Safe Care
Understanding a Plan of Safe Care (POSC)
What is Perinatal Cluster?
A group comprised of experts and caring service providers from medical, social services, mental health, early childhood programs, and treatment communities who meet to share creative solutions, explore resources, and assist women with maintaining a healthy pregnancy and healthy birth for up to one year.
What is a Plan of Safe Care (POSC)?
The goal of a POSC is to strengthen the family and keep the child(ren) safely at home.
- It is a written list of resources that can support a mother's needs during pregnancy and after the birth.
- It is written with the help of one or more people involved in providing health care or other services to the mother and child.
- A POSC can help with identifying appropriate support and intervention for expectant mothers.
When is a POSC developed?
Ideally, a POSC should be developed during pregnancy but must be developed at the earliest point that it is suspected the infant has been exposed to a substance in utero. If a POSC has not been developed during pregnancy, it can be written after delivery and must be developed before leaving the hospital.
What does a POSC do?
- It focuses on the health and development of the baby.
- It makes sure that the mother and baby remain healthy and safe.
- It works with the mother and family to identify overall needs.
- It offers referrals and links to needed services.
What services are in a POSC?
Basic needs: Safe housing, food, utilities, transportation, medical care and coverage, mental health and substance use treatment, help with baby.
Infant's needs: Identify what is needed and how to obtain items like pediatric care, diapers, cribs, car seats, breastfeeding support, formula, and a childcare plan.
Delivery plan: Delivery location, transportation to hospital, information needed at hospital, toiletries and clothing for the hospital stay, transportation home with infant, Medically Assisted Treatment plans, and education about CPS involvement. Support after delivery includes a referral to a home-visiting program and education on the impact of substance exposure on the infant.
Who is responsible for developing a POSC?
A Plan of Safe Care should include input from all service providers involved in the mother's care to promote the best health outcome for mother and infant. This could include:
- Medical staff including OB/GYNs, nurse practitioners, or midwives
- Substance use treatment providers
- Child welfare providers
- Mental health providers
- Early childhood intervention staff
- Home visitors
- Public health providers
- Others, as appropriate
A release of information ensures confidential coordination of services in a Plan of Safe Care.
Community Resources
Where to turn for help
Fairfield Dept. of Health
myfdh.orgLancaster–Fairfield Community Action Agency
faircaa.orgFairfield Co. Job & Family Services
fcjfs.orgFairfield Co. 211
fairfieldcounty211.orgFCFC Plan of Safe Care Coordinator
facfc.orgFairfield Co. ADAMH Board
fairfieldadamh.orgWhat the Perinatal Cluster is
The Fairfield County Perinatal Cluster provides free, confidential service coordination and support for pregnant women and new mothers — from pregnancy through the first year after a child's birth. Staff offer hope and help in finding solutions to a broad spectrum of challenges.
How to reach out
If you or someone you know is struggling during pregnancy, reach out for help. Service coordination is offered free of charge and confidentiality is valued by staff and collaborating partners. You can call to ask questions, make a referral, or even enroll yourself.
Why the community comes together
Fairfield County has formed a group of community partners to support and plan for healthy pregnancies — especially for women facing challenges such as mental-health stability, homelessness, addiction, lack of access to prenatal care, and transportation concerns. The cluster brings together experts and caring providers from medical, social services, mental health, early-childhood, and treatment communities who meet to share creative, collaborative solutions.
Challenges the cluster helps address
- Substance use and recovery support
- Homelessness and lack of natural supports
- Teenage pregnancy
- Domestic violence
- Parenting support and early intervention
- Food instability and family planning
- Lack of access to prenatal or family “medical home” care
- Mental-health concerns and other serious barriers
Contact
Cassie Bridgeman, Perinatal Cluster Coordinator
831 College Avenue, Suite C, Lancaster, Ohio 43130
Phone: 740-652-7287 · Fax: 740-681-5540
Email: cassandra.bridgeman@fairfieldcountyohio.gov
All mothers must be a resident of Fairfield County to participate in Perinatal Cluster.
About this guide
The development of a Plan of Safe Care is a coordinated, multi-system approach to address the needs of substance-exposed or affected infants and their families. This guide is provided by the Fairfield County Perinatal Leadership Committee — a collaboration of family-serving organizations throughout the county — and includes a directory of local community resources.
What is a Plan of Safe Care?
Plans of safe care describe the services and supports needed to comprehensively address the needs of infants prenatally exposed to substances and their families. These federally required plans identify the health-care needs of family members and caregivers (including substance use disorder treatment), developmental interventions for the baby, and the services and supports needed to promote family stability. The plan is developed with the parents and all service providers, and may or may not require involvement of child welfare agencies.
The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA)
CARA establishes requirements to meet the needs of substance-exposed and substance-affected infants and their families through a Plan of Safe Care for infants identified as being affected by substance use (legal or illegal), withdrawal symptoms, or a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. CARA includes both legal and illegal substances — infants exposed to or affected by legal substances (such as alcohol, prescribed medications, or antidepressants) are at risk just as infants affected by illegal substances.
What this means for mandated reporters
Mandated reporters are required to make a referral to a Public Children Services Agency (PCSA) when an infant is identified as exposed to or affected by substance use that places the infant at risk of serious harm. When making the referral, providing additional information about the Plan of Safe Care (for example, compliance with Medication Assisted Treatment) helps the PCSA make better screening decisions. If that information is not available at the time of referral, the PCSA is required to open a case for assessment.
Key definitions
- Substance-affected infant: a child under 12 months with any detectable physical, developmental, cognitive, or emotional delay or harm associated with a parent or caregiver's abuse of a legal or illegal substance (excluding a substance used as prescribed).
- Substance-exposed infant: a child under 12 months who was subjected to legal or illegal substance abuse while in utero.
What a Plan of Safe Care addresses
- Needs of the mother: health care, a stable primary caregiver, medication and pain management, substance use and mental-health treatment, parenting and family support, childcare, housing, transportation, employment, benefits, and a supportive network.
- Needs of the infant: a consistent pediatrician, high-risk follow-up care, referral to specialty care, developmental screening, and linkage to Early Intervention services.
- Needs of other children and family members: a consistent healthcare provider, developmental screening, substance use and mental-health assessment and treatment, and parenting skills.
Community resource directory
The printed guide includes an extensive directory of Fairfield County phone numbers organized by category:
- OB/GYNs and pregnancy services
- Pediatricians and child development / Early Intervention (Help Me Grow: 740-681-4881)
- Health services, WIC, and immunizations (Fairfield Dept. of Health: 740-652-2800)
- Mental health & counseling (Crisis Talk Line: 740-687-8255)
- Alcohol & drug treatment and Medication Assisted Treatment (The Recovery Center: 740-687-4500)
- Parenting skills — Active Parenting, The Parent Project, Triple P (740-652-7287)
- Financial assistance, housing, transportation, childcare, food, clothing, and utilities (Fairfield County 211 — dial 211 or 740-687-0500)
- Education, preschool, and family & youth activities
For information
Fairfield County Family, Adult and Children First Council
831 College Avenue, Lancaster, Ohio 43130
Phone: 740-652-7284 · www.facfc.org
Open the Original PDF tab above for the complete, printable resource directory with every listed phone number.