Specialized substance abuse treatment for women and their children: an analysis of program design

FRANÇAIS :
36 programmes de traitement de labus de drogue spécialisés pour des femmes et leurs enfants ont été sélectionnés pour cette étude. Chacun proposait une large palette de services prenant en compte labus de drogue, la santé mentale, laspect médical, le développement daptitudes de vie (comme la parentalité), la mise à disposition de services sociaux (tels que prendre en charge les enfants, leur assurer un moyen de transport, etc.). A lissue dune analyse détaillée, 3 modèles distincts de programmes ont été identifiés. Les résultats suggèrent que les programmes varient considérablement en ce qui concerne létendue des services proposés et la population à laquelle ils sadressent. En particulier, de nombreux programmes pour femmes enceintes semblent presque exclusivement centrés sur lissue de la grossesse. Aussi, des recommandations sont formulées face aux risques que pourraient présenter des programmes trop spécialisés.
ENGLISH :
In the present study, 36 specialized substance abuse treatment programs for women and their children were identified and chosen for review. These programs provide a wide range of services including substance abuse, mental health and medical treatment, life skills training (i.e. vocational and parenting training), and social services (i.e. child care and transportation). A cluster analysis was conducted, and three distinct patterns of program design were identified. Results suggest that programs vary considerably regarding 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 may be at risk for becoming too specialized. Recommendations are made for future substance-related program planning for women and their children. rights reserved. (Editor's abstract.)