Project 466584

Many substance use disorder (SUD) programs do not integrate treatment for mental illnesses, which leads to worse outcomes for the patients. Women with SUDs also face challenges unique to those of men, including physical (e.g., cis women get addicted faster than men), psychological (e.g., women with SUDs experience more trauma than their male counterparts), and sociocultural (e.g., societal pressures around sexuality and childbearing). With women who are involved with the criminal justice system (CJS), these challenges are even more complex due to higher rates of trauma, complications related to poverty, and overlooked needs in institutions. This project aims to (1) identify the barriers and challenges faced by forensic women (i.e., women involved with the CJS) with SUDs through a qualitative investigation and (2) develop a pilot SUD intervention informed by these data directed at this population. This project will be conducted at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.This topic will be addressed in two stages; (1) structured interviews to gather qualitative data on topics like SUD treatment experiences. Interviewees will include (1a) women inpatients in the forensic mental health system at CAMH and (1b) service providers at CAMH. This will inform the (2) pilot intervention directed at forensic women. The qualitative data will assist to develop a trauma-informed, gender-specific SUD treatment that will be integrated with mental illness treatment. This pilot program will be developed specifically for forensic women. The pilot program will address the themes and concerns of the participants of the interview directly.