To the Moon and Back, a Plymouth-based nonprofit that supports children born with in utero substance exposure – as well as their families – has been awarded a grant of more than $958,000 grant by the Massachusetts Community Health & Healthy Aging Funds, which is affiliated with the Department of Health.
The advocacy group says it will use the money for an initiative to develop best practices related to caring for children born with an opioid addiction.
“This is a pivotal moment is a major milestone in our growth. The grant will help us fund the salary to hire our first fulltime clinical staff member,” said Theresa Harmon, To the Moon and Back’s founder. “The professional selected for this role will provide care coordination, improving outcomes for children with prenatal opioid exposure. That support system is integral to ensuring the success of our mission.”
Harmon, who is a social worker and nurse, launched the organization in 2017. It began modestly, with a support group at the Plymouth Recovery Center.
“Opioid crisis challenges are currently positioned as a top priority to the public, municipalities, and the social services sector,” the group said in a press release. “At the center of that spotlight, TTMAB has received amplified attention, [and was] most recently honored at the Plymouth Addiction Response and Improvement Strategies Effort’s Grantees Honors Ceremony – where it was awarded $50,000 in funding.
That money also will be used to grow To the Moon and Back’s support and services for those affected by the opioid crisis, the group said.