Substance abusing mothers in child welfare- who gets treatment?

Objectives. To determine the proportion of substance-abusing mothers involved with child welfare services receive substance abuse treatment and characteristics associated with receipt of treatment at baseline and 18 month follow-up.

Methods: Data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, a nationally representative sample of children whose families were investigated by child protective services for child maltreatment, were analyzed using logistic regression to determine characteristics are associated with receipt of substance abuse treatment.

Results. Less than one-fifth of the women who had a substance abuse problem received treatment at baseline and about one-third of the women received substance abuse treatment by the 18 month follow-up. Women who work full- or part-time were significantly less likely to receive treatment. High family stress, having an open child welfare case, having a serious mental health problem, and actively experiencing domestic violence are significantly more likely to receive services.

Conclusions. Treatment enrollment for mothers with substance abuse problems is likely to be increased with responses that better engage women who work and who are experiencing domestic violence.