A residential program for women with substance use disorders has reopened its renovated facility in Newport News after relocating. The South Eastern Family Project, operated by the Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board, serves women including many who are pregnant or postpartum and experiencing co-occurring conditions such as depression or anxiety. The program has served more than 900 women since opening 25 years ago.
Recent renovations focused on accessibility and privacy, including updated bathrooms, new flooring and kitchen upgrades. The redesigned residence can accommodate up to 16 women at a time in shared dorm-style rooms. A distinctive feature allows infants under one year old to stay with their mothers, which clinical staff note 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. The program offers a wide range of recovery-focused services, including clinical therapy groups, peer recovery support and recreational activities, as well as parenting and trauma-informed classes. Peer recovery specialists—people with lived experience of addiction—are part of the care team. The program provides two levels of residential treatment: one offering intensive, clinically focused care for women with acute needs, and another providing structured treatment with additional re-entry support.
The program serves women from across Hampton Roads, including those referred by hospitals, jails and social services agencies. According to Shonda Whitfield, chief deputy with the Newport News Sheriff’s Office, the program fills a critical gap for women reentering the community, particularly those facing housing instability after leaving jail or hospital care. The renovated facility represents one of only two residential substance use treatment programs for women in Virginia, addressing a critical need as substance use remains one of the leading causes of preventable death among adults in the state.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.whro.org/health/2025-12-15/after-25-years-in-newport-news-womens-substance-use-treatment-program-reopens-updated-site