Message from the Director

Last year, I was proud to announce the establishment of the Office of Women’s and Perinatal Services (OWPS), an expansion of the Office of Perinatal Substance Abuse (OPSA). My goal as director is that all women should have access to the services they need. The OWPS marks the beginning of many enhancements to improve alcohol and other drug (AOD) services for women of all ages, their children, and their families.

OPSA was created in 1990 to address the pervasive issue of perinatal substance abuse. Since then, we established more than 300 programs that resulted in improved outcomes for pregnant and parenting women. All of these programs are required to provide comprehensive, gender-responsive services.

But all women, not just pregnant and parenting women, need access to comprehensive, gender-responsive services. Comprehensive services for women must be participant/client-centered, strength-based and age-appropriate. For example, women’s treatment services should be trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, and address the relapse risks unique to women. Many women drop out of treatment in the first 30 days so we must identify barriers to treatment success to improve treatment retention rates and outcomes in our system of services. There is a substantial body of research on effective practices for helping women with substance use problems. All women seeking services deserve to have the kind of gender-responsive, trauma-informed services that the best perinatal programs have been providing for years.

OWPS recently convened a panel of experts in women’s treatment to develop a framework for standards of care. The framework includes minimum standards for treatment as well as a gold standard for programs that wish to provide a higher level of service. I’ve also asked staff to develop a women’s treatment certification for counselors who treat females.

I’ve directed staff to increase communication to the field on best practices and research on women-specific issues and provide training and technical assistance using nationally recognized experts in the field. Dr. Stephanie Covington, who has a worldwide reputation in the field of gender-responsive, trauma-informed services, is one such expert consultant for the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP). Upcoming training events led by Dr. Covington include “Beyond Trauma: A Healing Journey for Women” and “Voices: A Program of Self-Discovery and Empowerment for Girls.” The trainings are intended for counselors, clinicians, and program administrators. More information is available at http://www.caarr.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=129&Itemid=48.

I am excited to be continuing with a focus on improving services for women through the Office of Women’s and Perinatal Services. Working together, we can make sure that women are engaged and receive the tools and support they need to establish and maintain alcohol and drug-free lives. I hope you will join me to ensure that comprehensive, participant/client-centered, and gender-responsive services are available for every woman in need.

RENÉE ZITO, LMSW, CASAC
Director