Women with co-occurring disorders (COD): treatment settings and service needs

Over the past two decades, substance abuse and mental health treatment systems have continued to define and refine interventions for co-occurring disorders (COD) for women. However, there is still a need for improvement of treatment and referral services for women with co-occurring disorders. This article presents data from studies of four types of interventions across a continuum of substance abuse treatment settings for women with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health issues. The studies include: (1) local data from the National Women with Co-Occurring Disorders and Violence Study (WCDVS); (2) a study of process improvement changes made to improve treatment access and retention implemented under the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) and SAMHSA/CSAT's Strengthening Treatment Access and Retention (STAR) Program; (3) an examination of selected data collected in a large publicly-funded assessment center for substance abuse and mental health disorders; and (4) a study of postpartum depression within a larger evaluation of a comprehensive treatment model for pregnant/postpartum women with substance abuse disorders. The results from these studies provide information that allows both mental health and substance abuse systems and providers to move toward more effective interventions tailored to specific groups of women with COD. The interventions tested include: centralized screening and assessment centers; trauma-informed, integrated treatment; process improvement strategies to improve retention; and screening for postpartum depression in substance abuse and mental health programs.