GENDER-RESPONSIVE SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT FOR WOMEN IN PRISON

Course overview

Course Description: This course is based upon material published in the Journal Substance Abuse Treatment and is available as an open access article on the NIH Public Access website. ABSTRACT This experimental pilot study compared post-release outcomes for 115 women who participated in prison-based substance abuse treatment. Women were randomized to a gender-responsive treatment (GRT) program using manualized curricula (Helping Women Recover and Beyond Trauma) or a standard prison-based therapeutic community (TC). Data were collected from the participants at prison program entry and 6 and 12 months after release. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Results indicate that both groups improved in psychological well-being; however, GRT participants had greater reductions in drug use, were more likely to remain in residential aftercare longer (2.6 months vs. 1.8 months, p < .05), and were less likely to have been reincarcerated within 12 months after parole (31 percent vs. 45 percent, respectively; a 67 percent reduction in odds for the experimental group, p < .05). Findings show the beneficial effects of treatment components oriented toward women's needs and support the integration of GRT in prison programs for women. This course on substance abuse treatment for women is suitable for chemical dependency counselors, substance abuse professionals, clinical social workers, psychologists, nurses, and professional counselors who do clinical work. This course is appropriate for beginning, intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their understanding of the substance abuse treatment for women. The course is a research report and as such contains statistical analysis and data which some clinicians enjoy reading and others do not. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require clinical continuing education courses for license renewal. Authors: Messina, Grella, Cartier, and Torres Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding the substance abuse treatment for women in prison. Specifically, a professional will: · Describe gender responsive treatment. · Identify the effectiveness of gender responsive treatment for substance abuse. · Identify the beneficial effects of treatment components oriented towards womens needs. Citation: Messina, Grella, Cartier, and Torres (2010). A Randomized Experimental Study of Gender-Responsive Substance Abuse Treatment for Women in Prison. Journal Substance Abuse Treatment. 38(2). come visit us on the web at www.ce-classes.com