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The Tides mission is to keep the mother-child dyad intact by engaging pregnant women with opioid use disorder in the recovery process.

ABOUT THE TIDES

The Tides, Inc. was born out of a passion to help pregnant women as they navigate recovery from
Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and work to become healthy moms having healthy babies.
 

We know how important it is to help our moms to learn ways to overcome obstacles in their recovery. As part of our comprehensive program, we teach many skills to help them move forward in their new lives with their babies.


Our staff works with community partners to provide the following services:

  • Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

  • Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Treatment (SAIOP)

  • Prenatal and Postpartum Care

  • Psychiatric Care

  • Parenting Skills

  • Life Skills

  • Legal Assistance

  • Developmental Screening for Children

  • Early Childhood Intervention Service

  • Childcare Services

  • Residential Services

  • Transportation

  • Career Counseling & Job Readiness Training

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We offer workshops in:

  • Communication Skills

  • Self-Esteem, Forgiveness and Letting Go

  • Relationship Issues

  • Health, Diet and Nutrition

  • Smoking Cessation

  • Family Issues - Roles, Values

  • Spiritual Wellness - Gratitude, Respect

  • Managing Emotions - Self-Care, Anger and Stress Management

  • Social Wellness - Integrating in

  • Community Support Long-Term

  • Examining the Roots of Addiction and Recovery

  • Dealing with Grief and Loss

  • Writing a New Chapter in Life

  • Preparing to Re-Enter Workforce

  • Financial Management

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Background
While providing obstetrical care to pregnant women in his practice, William Johnstone, MD, UNC Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Wilmington, NC began to notice that both the number of patients with opioid use disorder, as well as, associated deaths from overdose were increasing at an alarming rate. In the summer of 2016, he set out to learn about opioid use disorder and community programs designed to provide treatment and therapy. Throughout the process, he educated himself about opioid use through coursework and evidence-based literature. Pregnancy is a unique opportunity for engagement in recovery because of the enhanced dopamine networks that occur when hormones flood the brain, resulting in “maternal motivation”.
 
Dr. Johnstone completed the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s “Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder” course, which qualifies him to provide medically-assisted treatment to his patients. He met with community stakeholders to discuss the issue of maternal opioid use and to identify ways that different entities could come together to provide a solution. He met with a number of professionals both locally and throughout the state. After many discussions, it became clear that weaving together existing community programs to establish an intensive, residential treatment program tailored to meet the unique needs of child-bearing women with opioid use disorder would be a viable solution.
 
Consequently, in October 2017, Dr. Johnstone established Tides, Inc., a non-profit corporation registered in New Hanover County. He quickly assembled the Board of Directors based on expertise and alignment with the cause.

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