Case management of pregnant and parenting female crack and polydrug abusers

The increasing use of crack-cocaine among addicted women and subsequent births of polydrug-exposed infants prompted the State of Florida to undertake initiatives to seek solutions to these problems. This study, focused on one of these initiatives, explored the relationship between service components of a comprehensive treatment program and substance-free time among 120 African American and Caucasian crack-cocaine addicted women. Findings from a multiple regression analysis indicated that aftercare management (p < .0001), vocational services (p < .02), and residential treatment (p < .03) were statistically significant services associated with substance-free time. Although these findings are not conclusive, they are supportive of a growing body of literature that suggests that crack-using and polydrug-using women can be responsive to treatment when it is tailored to their individual needs and includes long-term community support.