With programs like Career Connections, Ability First, and 2nd Chance, it is clear that many of Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Inc.’s services are geared toward providing the resources necessary to connect the community with employment opportunities. However, employment is only one aspect of community and individual wellness. This is why Goodwill educates first-time mothers and advocates for them and their babies through its Nurse-Family Partnership program.
Nurse-Family Partnership is an evidence-based, national program that was started locally under Goodwill in the fall of 2019 and has served 692 infants and toddlers and a total of 926 families in Northern Indiana.
Navigating pregnancy, delivery, and motherhood for the first time is daunting, but the Family-Nurse Partnership program connects mothers with a nurse to eliminate some of the mystery and ensure both mother and baby stay healthy.
“Our nurses are really working to build therapeutic, trusting relationships early on,” said Rochelle Andruszkiewicz, nurse supervisor at Nurse-Family Partnership. “A lot of our clients have been through traumatic experiences at some point in their life or maybe have never had a trusting relationship. Those aren't easy, but we continue to show up and let them know that the nurse is there to support them. What they see as best for them is what we want for them.”
The Nurse-Family Partnership program brings the nurse directly to the client through at-home visits to bridge any gaps in accessibility and give clients the support they need for them and their babies to thrive. At the beginning of the program, nurses visit clients once a week, and for the rest of the client’s involvement in the program, they will meet every other week.
They do health assessments and watch for signs of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and other issues that can occur during pregnancy.
“Many of these women struggle getting proper nutrition. We're trying to pair them with food sources and supports such as transportation to get them to their appointments,” said Goodwill’s Director of Marketing Kristin Robinette.
Depending on their needs and desires, clients can choose how they communicate with their nurse through the Nurse-Family Partnership. They can choose to have an in-person visit, telehealth, or a phone call. Often clients and nurses will text each other between appointments if questions or concerns come up.
‘The Nurse-Family Partnership program allows the clients to be the experts in their own lives,” Robinette said.
Teaching clients how to advocate for themselves, especially in their doctor’s appointments, is one of the major goals of Nurse-Family Partnership. To help promote self-advocacy, Nurse-Family Partnership has women write down their strengths as a confidence builder and encourages them to write down questions ahead of talking with their doctors and healthcare providers.
“We tell our clients all the time that doctors are there to answer their questions; that's their job. If you have questions prepared ahead of time, you can make sure that you're getting them answered,” said Andruszkiewicz.
One of the most unique and important features of the Nurse-Family Partnership is that nurses will maintain relationships with clients from pregnancy all the way through the first two years of a baby’s life. After the baby’s birth, the nurses will conduct developmental assessments to monitor the baby’s growth and health. The nurse also does screenings for the mother to check for depression, anxiety, and intimate partner violence.
“During pregnancy, the focus is really on the mom. After the baby's born, some of that shifts to the baby's development and whether the mom has any questions or concerns about behavioral health, mental health, and those kinds of things,” said Director of Nurse-Family Partnership Laura Pate.
With Nurse-Family Partnership’s assistance, 89% of babies are born to term and 91% of those babies receive all recommended immunizations by their second birthday.
Up until six months ago, Nurse-Family Partnership had two teams through Goodwill that could serve up to 200 clients each. As part of the recent state expansion, Nurse-Family Partnership will expand to five teams, giving it the opportunity to serve up to 1,000 families in Northern Indiana.
With this expansion, Nurse-Family Partnership will be able to extend its reach to serve clients living in rural counties that have more barriers between them and the healthcare services they need than their urban counterparts. Nurse-Family Partnership is working to expand into every county in Indiana to secure the health of mothers and babies across the state.
Learn more about Nurse-Family Partnership here. To make a referral or self-refer, call 1-833-879-2229 (BABY) or email nfp@goodwill-ni.org. If interested in an opportunity to work with Nurse-Family Partnership visit JoinNFPGoodwill.org to learn more.
For more information about Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Inc. and its services, visit goodwill-ni.org.
