Treating Women with Substance Use Disorders The Women's Recovery Group Manual

Filling a crucial need, this manual presents the Women's Recovery Group (WRG), an empirically supported treatment approach that emphasizes self-care and developing skills for relapse prevention and recovery. Grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy, the WRG is designed for a broad population of women with alcohol and drug use disorders, regardless of their specific substance of abuse, age, or co-occurring disorders. Step-by-step intervention guidelines are accompanied by 80 reproducible clinical tools, including participant handouts, session outlines, bulletin board materials, and more. The large-size format facilitates photocopying; purchasers also get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials.

Shelly F. Greenfield, MD, MPH, is Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Chief Academic Officer at McLean Hospital, where she also serves as Chief of the Division of Women's Mental Health and Director of Clinical and Health Services Research and Education in the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Program. The Women's Recovery Group grew out of her extensive research and clinical work in the field of substance use disorders, with a particular focus on women and addiction. Dr. Greenfield has authored more than 125 articles and book chapters. She is Chair of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network gender special interest group and past Chair of the American Psychiatric Association's Council on Addiction Psychiatry, and serves on the boards of directors of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry and the Advisory Committee on Services for Women of the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. A member of the American College of Psychiatrists and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Greenfield is a recipient of the R. Brinkley Smithers Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Society of Addiction Medicine and the A. Clifford Barger Award for Excellence in Mentoring from Harvard Medical School.

I. Introduction to the Women's Recovery Group
1. Treating Women with Substance Use Disorders
2. Conducting the Women’s Recovery Group
II. Group Sessions
Session 1. The Effect of Drugs and Alcohol on Women’s Health
Session 2. How to Manage Triggers and High-Risk Situations
Session 3. Overcoming Obstacles to Recovery
Session 4. Managing Mood, Anxiety, and Eating Problems without Using Substances
Session 5. Women and Their Partners: The Effect on Recovery
Session 6. Coping with Stress
Session 7. Women as Caretakers: Can You Take Care of Yourself While You Are Taking Care of Others?
Session 8. Using Self-Help Groups to Help Yourself
Session 9. Women’s Use of Substances through the Life Cycle
Session 10. Violence and Abuse: Getting Help
Session 11. The Issue of Disclosure: To Tell or Not to Tell?
Session 12. Substance Use and Women’s Reproductive Health
Session 13. Can You Have Fun and Not Use Drugs or Alcohol?
Session 14. Achieving a Balance in Your Life
Appendix A. Reproducible Participant Materials
Appendix B. Reproducible Therapist Materials
References
Index