Specialized substance abuse treatment for women and their children - An analysis of program design

In the present study, 36 specialized substance abuse treatment programs for women and their children were identified and chosen for review. These prog rams provide a wide range of services including substance abuse, mental hea lth and medical treatment, life skills training (i.e. vocational and parent ing training), and social services (i.e. child care and transportation). A cluster analysis was conducted, and three distinct patterns of program desi gn were identified. Results suggest that programs vary considerably regardi ng the extent to which comprehensive services are provided and to whom they are offered. Many programs that appear to be comprehensive fail to provide the full range of services to all those who need them. In particular, many programs for pregnant women seem to focus almost exclusively on pregnancy- related issues. As such, specialized substance abuse treatment for women ma y be at risk for becoming too specialized. Recommendations are made for fut ure substance-related program planning for women and their children. (C) 20 01 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.