Supporting pregnant individuals in reducing or quitting substance use is one of the most effective ways to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.
Despite routine screening for substance use during prenatal care, sustained, patient-centered support remains difficult to deliver consistently in real-world clinical settings.
Many existing interventions are disconnected from prenatal workflows, rely on external referrals, or are not designed to address co-use of nicotine and cannabis.
These limitations contribute to missed opportunities for intervention and disproportionately affect patients facing structural barriers to care.
Strong Start was developed to address these gaps by providing trauma-informed, autonomy-supportive counseling that integrates with clinical workflows and supports reduction of tobacco, nicotine, and cannabis use during pregnancy and postpartum.
Tobacco, vaped nicotine and cannabis use during pregnancy is a leading driver of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Strong Start was designed in collaboration with clinicians, community partners, and individuals with lived experience to address the realities of tobacco, vaped nicotine and canna during pregnancy.
Key features include:
Integrated support for nicotine and cannabis use
Focus on harm reduction and patient readiness
Trauma-informed counseling
Non-stigmatizing, autonomy-supportive approach
Designed for real-world clinical settings
Strong Start Provides Patients:
Trauma-informed, patient-centered counseling
Support for reduction or cessation of tobacco, vaped nicotine, and cannabis
Whole-person support that integrates mental well-being
Flexible delivery options aligned with patient readiness
Participation incentives to support engagement
A model designed to complement existing prenatal care workflows
