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2025 Magnet® Redesignation Feedback

The Magnet® designation for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center is the pre-eminent recognition for hospital systems in the United States.

ChristianaCare Health System was designated as a Magnet organization in 2010, 2015, and 2020 by the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® and are now applying for redesignation.

We invite patients, family members, staff, and other interested parties to provide feedback via email or direct mail. For more information, please click here.

Women's Mental Health

Substance Abuse

Substance abuse is a deeply personal and triggering process.

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Women & Substance Abuse Appointments & Finding Help SOS Program

Women & Substance Abuse

Substance abuse is a deeply personal process that can be triggered through a variety of factors such as life circumstances, loss or self-medication. For women, this can relate to fertility, hormones, breastfeeding and menopause, or certain medications are used beyond their intended use. In addition, women can have other unique reasons for overusing drugs, including weight control, exhaustion, pain and mental problems.

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How Do You Know If You Need Treatment?

You may have had a choice when you first started using drugs or alcohol. But, after a while, these drugs change the structure and functioning of your brain. Once you are addicted, the urge to use the substance you are addicted to becomes so powerful that you may continue using it without thinking about what could happen.

Substance abuse can include behavioral and physical signs such as:

Abrupt weight change.
Bruises and infections.
Bloodshot or glazed eyes.
Increased aggression or irritability.
Personality changes.
Lethargy and depression.
Financial problems.
Dramatic changes in habits and priorities.

You need to ask for help if you continue to use drugs or alcohol even after developing problems with your health, your job or education, or your relationships. Another warning sign is your need for more drugs or alcohol to get the same pleasant feeling as when you first started using them.

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If you need referral information, to retrieve patient records, schedule an appointment or just more information, please call 302-320-2100.

Where to Go for Help?

The first step is admitting you have a problem and you need help. The next is accepting that treatment takes time. Short-term, one-time treatments hardly ever work. The best treatment programs offer multiple services over time. Some programs may offer education and support for your family. Studies show that anything less than 90 days is not long enough.

Here are resources that you can use to take the next steps:

Your healthcare provider may be able to take care of your immediate needs and help you find a treatment program.
Workplaces that sponsor employee assistance programs may offer counseling and referrals for drug and alcohol treatment.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can help you find a drug and alcohol treatment center near you by visiting its website or calling 800-662-HELP or 800-662-4357. There is a list of more than 11,000 treatment programs.
The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry and The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry have tools to help you find a substance abuse specialist.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health America are support organizations with national chapters offering counseling. Referrals are available.
The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence offers support and a 24-hour referral service at 800-NCA-CALL (800-622-2255).

Community Substance Overdose Support (SOS) Program and Project Engage

ChristianaCare and Connections have partnered with New Castle County to create the Community Substance Overdose Support (SOS) Program to help people in our community who are struggling with addiction. Community SOS offers people hope and support when they need it the most. Community SOS engagement specialists will connect with individuals in their homes or within their communities to discuss how they can help support their recovery. Engagement specialists offer:

Education about addiction.
Resources in the community that offer addiction counseling.
Referrals to medication-assisted treatment.
Arrangements for transportation to treatment.
Training on the proper use of the overdose reversal drug, naloxone (Narcan).
No judgment. Our engagement specialists are all in recovery themselves.
A friendly, understanding ear when you need one.

To contact Community SOS, please email CommunitySOS@ChristianaCare.org or call 302-428-6593.

If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, getting into treatment is an important first step. The State of Delaware offers a list of resources for substance abuse counseling and treatment at www.HelpIsHereDE.com. You can also locate help and information at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at www.samhsa.gov and the National Institute on Drug Abuse at www.drugabuse.gov.