Arizona Youth Partnership Presents Innovative Maternal SUD Program at National Rx and Illicit Drug Summit in Nashville.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 5, 2026

AZYP's Linking Actions for Healthy Mothers and Babies Program Draws Nationwide Praise at Premier Addiction Conference

GLOBE, AZ — Arizona Youth Partnership (AZYP) is proud to announce its participation in the 2026 Rx and Illicit Drug Summit, held April 6-9, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. The annual summit is the nation’s premier gathering for stakeholders committed to addressing the opioid and addiction crisis – bringing together voices from federal agencies to advance evidence-based solutions in prevention, treatment, and law enforcement.

About the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit

The Rx and Illicit Drug Summit is where solutions are formulated, stakeholders from federal to family convene, and change begins. The Summit plays a vital role in addressing the ongoing addiction crisis by fostering collaboration across sectors and promoting evidence-based solutions – equipping attendees with the latest knowledge, tools and connections needed to drive meaningful change in their communities and organizations.

AZYP Presents the LAHMB Program

Julie Craig, Director of Community Impact at AZYP, and Charlene Becker, Senior Program Manager, co-presented on AZYP’s Linking Actions for Healthy Mothers and Babies (LAHMB) Program — a groundbreaking initiative designed to support pregnant mothers experiencing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in Gila County, Arizona.

Julie Craig opened the presentation with a compelling overview of the opioid epidemic’s devastating toll on Arizona and Gila County specifically, citing sobering statistics on opioid-related deaths. She also provided an educational breakdown of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS), explaining how these conditions affect newborns and the urgent need for targeted, compassionate intervention programs.

Charlene Becker then detailed the LAHMB program’s holistic, wrap-around model of care. The program integrates healthy pregnancy and childbirth education classes with individualized case management and peer support — creating a judgment-free environment where mothers with SUD can find community, strength, and hope. The program’s guiding philosophy is to meet mothers where they are: helping them feel accepted, supported, and empowered in their journey through motherhood rather than isolated or stigmatized.

“Our goal is to help these mothers feel accepted and supported,” said Charlene Becker. “We want them to be with peers and find solace in motherhood, rather than feeling shame or being singled out. Every mother deserves that dignity and belonging.”

Program Impact and National Recognition

To date, the LAHMB program has successfully connected 10 mothers with the critical resources needed to support themselves and their babies through withdrawal — a milestone that reflects the program’s life-changing potential in one of Arizona’s most rural and underserved counties.

The presentation was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees and HRSA representatives present at the Summit. The response was so enthusiastic that multiple participants inquired about the possibility of expanding the LAHMB model to other counties across Arizona and replicating it in states throughout the country — a testament to the program’s transferable, evidence-informed design.

“We are incredibly proud of what this program represents and what it has already accomplished for families in Gila County,” said Julie Craig. “The interest we received from HRSA and our fellow grantees was inspiring.”

About Arizona Youth Partnership (AZYP)

AZYP is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to building healthy, resilient youth. Through innovative evidence-based prevention programs and community driven initiatives like LAHMB program, AZYP empowers youth to harness their strengths to live healthy and purposeful lives.

###