Wisdom, J.P., Pollock, M.N., and Hopping-Winn, A. – 2011
Presents substance abuse treatment engagement and retention strategies that meet the specific needs of pregnant and parenting women with substance use disorders. Discusses barriers to engagement and retention among pregnant and parenting women, such as history of trauma and abuse, socioeconomic difficulties, co-occurring mental health issues, and feelings of guilt. Service barriers for these women include lack of staff engagement, complicated procedures, and language and cultural differences. Presents tactics for assessing and addressing agency barriers. Recommendations for improving client engagement and retention include early relationship development, eliminating waiting lists, use of motivational strategies, addressing individual barriers (such as child care), use of reminder calls, creating a positive environment, engaging the women’s partners, and addressing co-occurring disorders.