Substance Abuse Treatment: Addressing the Specific Needs of Women

This guide provides practical information to clinicians and other professional care providers who treat women living with substance use disorders. It addresses risk factors, mental illness and substance use screening, patient assessment, treatment, and relapse.

This Advisory is based on TIP 31, Screening and Assessing Adolescents for Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) and TIP 32, Treatment of Adolescents with SUDs. It includes recommendations for engaging adolescents in SUD risk assessment, screening, and treatment.

This guide helps substance use counselors treat clients with symptoms of depression and substance use conditions. Program administrators will learn how to integrate depression treatment into early drug treatment. The guidelines cover screening, assessment, treatment, counseling, cultural competence, and continuing care. 

This manual helps behavioral health professionals understand the impact of trauma on those who experience it. The manual discusses patient assessment and treatment planning strategies. These strategies support recovery and the development of a trauma-informed care workforce.

This quick guide helps clinicians address the specific needs of women living with substance use disorders. It reviews gender-specific research and best practices—such as common patterns of misuse—and specific screening and treatment strategies.

This manual offers treatment and service providers guidelines on caring for people living with substance use disorder conditions who also have physical disabilities or cognitive disabilities. It discusses screening, treatment planning, and counseling, and linkages with other treatment and service providers.