The Institute for Health and Recovery (IHR) is proud to share that two members of our team, Katie Raftery and Latisha Goullaud, are co-authors of a newly published article in Academic Pediatrics titled “‘Missing Their Mother’: Perspectives of Mothers With Substance Use Disorder on Child Well-Being and Parental Substance Use.” (DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2025.103212).

The qualitative study draws on semi-structured focus groups with 23 mothers with substance use disorder (SUD) to explore how they understand child well-being, how substance use intersects with parenting, and how they experience interactions with clinicians and child protective services. The research highlights several themes, including mothers’ perspectives on supervision and emotional presence,the strategies they use to reduce harm and protect their children, and their perceptions of how health care providers frame child well-being.

Findings underscore that mothers view child well-being as multi-dimensional and relational, and suggest opportunities for clinicians to provide more nuanced, supportive guidance grounded in families’ lived realities.

Katie and Latisha’s contributions reflect IHR’s longstanding commitment to elevating lived experience, advancing trauma-informed approaches, and strengthening systems that support women, children, and families affected by substance use.

We congratulate Katie, Latisha, and their fellow authors on this important contribution to the field.