In this course we’ll focus on perinatal and postpartum mothers with substance use issues from an ecosystems lens. We’ll learn about common risk factors, systemic factors, and barriers to treatment. We’ll also touch on other mental health concerns for these mothers. 

Then, we’ll build skills to support perinatal and postpartum mothers with substance use and untreated mental health concerns using Shared Decision-Making, which is a person-centered, collaborative approach that is rooted in what mothers say they need.

Simulated therapy session: This course includes a simulated therapy session with the instructor, Heather Howard, and Kat (who is unhoused, dependent on opioids, and recently found out that she's pregnant). Kat (portrayed by an actor) and the instructor use Shared Decision-Making to help Kat explore her treatment options.

Course curriculum

    1. Welcome to the Course!

    2. Our Plan

    1. Overview

    2. The Role of Trauma

    3. Maternal Substance Use & It’s Relationship with Child Welfare Involvement

    4. Mental Health: Overdose, Suicide, and Maternal Mortality

    5. What This Means for Our Work With Clients

    6. The Dyad: The Importance of Attachment

    7. Reflection Questions

    8. What Works and Lack of Appropriate Treatment Options

    9. Stigma and Other Roadblocks to Care

    1. Overview

    2. What mothers say they need

    3. Trauma-Informed Care

    4. Applying Trauma-Informed Principles to Mothers with Substance Use Disorders

    5. Self-Determination Theory

    6. Shared Decision-Making

    7. Simulated Session: Kat's Background Information

    8. Simulation: Building Rapport & Presenting Concerns

    9. Shared Decision-Making: #1 What Are My Options?

    10. Simulation: #1 What Are My Options?

    11. Shared Decision-Making: #2 Discuss Risks and Benefits

    12. Simulation: #2 Discuss Risks and Benefits

    13. Shared Decision-Making: #3 What is Important to Your Care? And #4 What Treatment Options are Covered?

    14. Simulation: Step #3 and Step #4

    15. Shared Decision-Making: #5 Final Decision is Agreed Upon and Implementation Discussed

    16. Simulation: #5 Final Decision is Agreed Upon and Implementation Discussed

    17. Shared Decision-Making #6 Support is Provided to Evaluate Health Outcomes

    18. Debrief on the Session with Kat

    1. Overview

    2. What Does "Shared" Really Look Like in Shared Decision-Making?

    3. How Do I Understand and Manage Countertransference?

    4. Do You Have Any Tips for Navigating Referrals?

    5. Key Takeaways

    6. Additional Resources

    1. Overview

    2. Review

    3. Bibliography

    4. Nice Work!

    1. Overview

    2. Posttest

    3. Overview: Course Evaluation

    4. Course Evaluation: Mothers with Substance Use Issues: What They Say They Need (created 6/05/26)

    5. Congratulations!

About this course

  • $29.00
  • 2.5 CE Credits (Clinical)
  • Online, self-paced, noninteractive course
  • Available in the U.S. and Canada

Meet the Instructor

Heather Howard, PhD, LICSW/LCSW is a clinical social worker licensed in multiple states whose practice has focused on providing trauma-informed, clinical care for perinatal and postpartum clients. 

Dr. Howard is a Graduate Faculty Affiliate at Florida Atlantic University and a co-founder at Support Not Stigma Counseling and Wellness, which is focused on breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma. Dr. Howard has over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles that focus on maternal health issues and family strengthening, including shared decision-making with pregnant women presenting with opioid use disorder. 

She also collaborated with Florida Atlantic University’s College of Medicine as a co-investigator and shared decision-making trainer for the SAMHSA State Opioid Response Grant Curriculum Development and Implementation Project. Her current research explores supporting the mother-infant dyad, increasing recovery capital for those impacted by substance use, and the intersection of infant removal on recovery.

Course Details

Credits: This course offers 2.5 clinical continuing education credits. Learn more

Cost: $29

Format: This is an online, self-paced, noninteractive course that includes reading and recorded videos (asynchronous course).

Registration: To register for this course, click the “Enroll” button. This course is self-paced, so you can join at any time after completing your registration and payment.

Practice Level: Intermediate

Target Audience: Social workers who have foundational knowledge in the treatment of substance use disorders and who work in clinical or social service settings.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this training, you will learn to:

  • Describe perinatal and postpartum substance misuse using an ecosystems lens.

  • Explain how stigma negatively impacts help-seeking; and how stigma results from stereotyping and discrimination in health and mental health care.

  • Apply the Shared Decision-Making (SDM) approach to work with mothers with substance use concerns.

  • Apply knowledge of current best practices to effectively refer mothers with substance use concerns to treatment.

Continuing Education Credits

Continuing education credits are offered to social workers in all U.S. states except New York and across all Canadian provinces. If your state uses CE Broker, you will need to manually upload your certificate of credit. Learn more

Additional Information

Refund & Cancellation Policy: GetPractice will fully refund requests from learners who have not completed a course. If a learner has completed all requirements of a course and received their certificate of completion, they are no longer eligible for a refund. 

Accessibility: Please email [email protected] to discuss any questions or requests regarding accessibility & accommodations. 

System Requirements: This course is hosted on the GetPractice site. To complete the course and all required course materials, learners will login to the GetPractice course site. Learners will need a computer or smartphone and an internet connection to complete the course.

Course Completion Requirements: To complete the course and receive their certificate of credit, learners will complete all online lessons in the course, a posttest (a passing score of 80% is required, learners can retake the test if needed), and a course evaluation. Once these components are successfully completed, the learner’s certificate of credit will be available immediately on the course page and in their learner account.

Availability Notice: GetPractice courses are only available for sales in the U.S. and Canada.

Questions or Concerns: Please reach out to [email protected] 

Course Creation Date:  6/05/26

GetPractice LLC, provider #2517, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period:11/14/25-11/14/26. Social workers completing this course receive 2.5 clinical continuing education credits.

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