Integrated treatment programs for pregnant and parenting women with problematic substance use: Service descriptions and client perceptions of care

Integrated treatment programs comprehensively address the unique and varied needs of pregnant and parenting women with problematic substance use. Despite the growth of these programs and evidence supporting their effectiveness, a clear picture of services that comprise integrated treatment is lacking. To address this gap in knowledge, we explored the services provided by 12 integrated treatment programs in one Canadian province. We found that integrated programs routinely provided substance use and mental health services, yet there was marked variability in other supportive services that address other central needs of women, such as prenatal and primary care, therapeutic childcare, housing and transportation support. Using survey data, we further examined client perceptions of care within integrated treatment programs (N = 106) compared to standard treatment programs (N = 207), and thematically analyzed qualitative feedback provided by integrated program clients to gain insight into how services may or may not be promoting positive perceptions of care. We found that integrated treatment program clients perceive their care more positively than clients in standard treatment programs and services provided impact on these perceptions. Implications for treatment development and research are discussed.