A residential program for women with substance use disorders has reopened its newly renovated home in Newport News.
Operated by the Hampton–Newport News Community Services Board, the South Eastern Family Project offers residential treatment for women, including many who are pregnant or postpartum and experiencing co-occurring conditions such as depression or anxiety.
Renovations focused on accessibility and privacy, including updated bathrooms, new flooring and kitchen upgrades.
“What we're expecting to achieve is to continue the great services that we were providing for all women,” said Clinical Services Administrator Lillian Chamberlain. “And pretty much enhance the clinical services that we're providing.”
The program serves women from across Hampton Roads, including those referred by hospitals, jails and social services agencies.
Chamberlain said the program has served more than 900 women since opening 25 years ago.
“We offer a wide range of recovery-focused services,” Chamberlain said. “That includes clinical therapy groups, peer recovery support and recreational activities, as well as parenting and trauma-informed classes, which are especially important for many of the women we serve.”
Virginia and the nation continue to face high rates of substance-related illness and overdose.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 100,000 people nationwide died from drug overdoses in a recent 12-month period, with opioids involved in the majority of deaths. In Virginia, the Department of Health suggests that substance use remains one of the leading causes of preventable death among adults.
Shonda Whitfield, chief deputy with the Newport News Sheriff’s Office, said the program fills a critical gap for women re-entering the community.
“This is important, because as returning citizens coming from the jail, the barrier seems to be most often housing,” Whitfield said. “This gives women a place to go and a chance to get treatment instead of falling through the cracks.”
The renovated South Eastern Family Project is meant to be a resource for all women struggling with substance use disorder, especially those facing housing instability after leaving jail or hospital care, said Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board Executive Director Daphne Cunningham.
“They receive therapy, connect with others who share similar experiences, and work with peer recovery specialists — people who have been through recovery themselves and can model what’s possible,” Cunningham said, noting the program is one of only two of its kind in Virginia.
The renovated residence can serve up to 16 women at a time, with shared dorm-style rooms. Infants under one year old are allowed to stay with their mothers, a feature Chamberlain said can reduce trauma and help women remain engaged in treatment.
Care is provided around the clock and follows national addiction medicine standards. Within their first week, women receive clinical assessments, individual and group therapy, nursing oversight and psychiatric evaluations. Peer recovery specialists — people with lived experience of addiction — are also part of the care team.
The program offers two levels of residential treatment. One provides a more intensive, clinically focused setting for women with acute needs. The other offers structured treatment with additional support for re-entry into the community, including parenting and trauma-informed classes.
