Hushabye Nursery is a CARF-accredited nonprofit in Phoenix, Arizona, providing specialized inpatient and outpatient care for infants experiencing Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and their families, the first such program in Arizona and one of only three in the nation created by nurse practitioners. The program combines a 12-room inpatient detox nursery with outpatient family support, prenatal programming, case management, and behavioral health services through a trauma-informed, family-centered model designed to keep families together.
A 12-Room Inpatient Detox Nursery Built Around Low-Intervention Care
Hushabye Nursery’s inpatient facility provides 24/7 medically supervised care for newborns withdrawing from opioids and other substances. The program is notable for its dramatically reduced reliance on pharmacological intervention, its use of morphine or methadone stands at 34.8% compared to the NICU average of 98%, instead prioritizing non-pharmacological comfort measures and caregiver involvement throughout the withdrawal process. Caregivers work alongside peer mentors and clinical staff from the start, learning how to comfort and support their infant while also engaging in the outpatient services that run parallel to inpatient care.
The HOPPE Program: Prenatal and Postnatal Support for Families
The Hushabye Opioid Pregnancy Preparation and Empowerment (HOPPE) program serves pregnant women and their families struggling with opioid use disorder before and after delivery. Through support groups co-led by lived-experience peer mentors, evidence-based classes, case management, and connections to housing and legal resources, the program equips families with the tools, information, and support networks they need to achieve healthy outcomes for their babies and themselves. Groups include the HOPPE opioid pregnancy preparation group, SMART Recovery, group coaching, and Strength Through Safety, a program focused on healthy coping skills for people with histories of addiction and trauma.
Behavioral Health, Trauma Therapy, and Family Preservation
Hushabye Nursery’s licensed therapists provide trauma therapy, marriage and family counseling, and substance use disorder treatment, walking alongside each client to help them process trauma and build the emotional regulation and coping skills that support lasting recovery. The program’s Strengthening Families approach focuses on identifying protective factors to prevent child abuse and neglect and support family unification. Case management staff work directly with the Department of Child Services on behalf of families to help prepare for DCS involvement, support safe home environments, and work toward reunification when needed.
Education, Parenting Support, and Community Referrals
Hushabye Nursery provides families with a range of practical education including pregnancy and birthing classes taught by a labor and delivery nurse, car seat safety training with a free car seat provided, safe sleep education with a free Pack and Play provided, and the Triple P parenting program, a four-session evidence-based curriculum for building healthy family relationships. The program’s educational approach is grounded in the Adverse Childhood Experiences framework, recognizing the strong correlation between early trauma, OUD, and family instability, and using that understanding to support long-term family resilience and protective factors.
A Community-Anchored Program for Families Impacted by Opioid Use Disorder
For families in the Phoenix area navigating the intersection of opioid use disorder, newborn NAS, and the risk of child welfare involvement, Hushabye Nursery offers an integrated continuum from inpatient infant care through outpatient family support, designed to address the health, trauma, housing, legal, and parenting needs of the entire family system. Accepted insurance plans include AHCCCS partners Banner Health Plans, Mercy Care, Molina Healthcare, UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Arizona Complete Health, and Care1st.
