In this five-year study, a total of 300 women entering court-referred treatment throughout Los Angeles County and who agree to participate in the study will be randomly assigned to a women-focused or to a mixed-gender outpatient treatment program. The study will assess the impact of women-focused substance abuse treatment using outcome measures including recidivism, substance abuse and relapse, and social adjustment (e.g., employment, parenting behaviors, psychological improvement, and HIV risk reduction behaviors), compared to the impact of traditional mixed-gender programs. Assessments will occur at baseline and at 1 month, 12 months, and 24 months after admission.
