Welfare reform and the changing landscape of substance abuse set-vices forlow-income women

Recent welfare reform policies could fundamentally change the nature of pub lic-sector substance abuse services available to women. This review summari zes what is presently known about substance abuse services and women on wel fare, and identifies limitations in our current knowledge about the potenti al effects of welfare reform. Five crucial areas are examined in which rese arch on services has fallen short: (1) assessing the need for substance abu se services across a broad spectrum of welfare populations, (2) exploring t he role that alcohol and drug problems play in welfare dependency, (3) exam ining how welfare programs can serve as pathways to alcohol and drug treatm ent, (4) evaluating the effectiveness and costs of innovative welfare-treat ment programs, and (5) understanding systems-level adaptations in substance abuse services for women that result from changing welfare policies. We co nclude that researchers who study services should take a broad view of thes e issues-one that considers the unique situation of poor women and single m others, that views substance abuse within a work impairment or disabilities framework, and one that is attuned to future changes in the effects of wel fare reform as the economy and labor markets undergo change.