Addressing the Specific Needs of Women for Treatment of Substance Use Disorders

Course overview

Course Description: This course is based on material published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and is available as an open-access article. Approaches to SUD treatment for women should include: Relational approaches that take into consideration positive and negative familial and partner influences and relationships and promote a safe and caring treatment environment, treatment programs that integrate the whole person, including family and parenting responsibilities, trauma-informed approaches that include screening and assessing women for trauma history, a focus on identifying and addressing co-occurring substance use and mental disorders, such as mood, anxiety, and eating disorders, consideration of appropriate medications for pregnant women; buprenorphine is safer than naltrexone or methadone to ensure better outcomes for newborn children, and provider recognition of women's cultural expectations to help improve engagement and retention in treatment programs. This course on treatment approaches for managing substance use disorder in women is designed for clinical social workers, psychologists, professional counselors, nurses, and substance abuse counselors who do clinical work. It is appropriate for intermediate and advanced-level practitioners who wish to develop their expertise with treatment approaches for managing substance use disorder in women. The course material includes a literature review of interventions. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require continuing clinical education courses for license renewal. The course is based on a journal article that includes research. It contains statistical analysis and data that some clinicians enjoy reading and others do not. A significant benefit of reading peer-reviewed research-based articles for continuing education is that they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. Authors: SAMHSA Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding treatment approaches for managing substance use disorder in women. Specifically, a professional will: Describe the process of screening and assessing women for substance use disorder. Identify considerations for treating substance use disorder in women. Recognize considerations for treating substance use disorder in women of specific racial and ethnic groups. Citation: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2021). Addressing the Specific Needs of Women for Treatment of Substance Use Disorders. Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://store.samhsa.gov.