The Take 10! Transforming Care for Women with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) and their Families series discusses current issues and challenges confronted by diverse women presenting with substance use, SUDs, and who are in recovery. Women experience SUD in ways that are distinct from men. Historically, access to treatment for women has been limited, a disparity that persists today. Studies show that when women begin treatment for SUDs, they frequently arrive with more severe medical, behavioral, psychological, and social struggles compared to men. For these reasons, there is a need for gender-specific services.

Topic 2 (Overview Session): Assessment  and Screening of Co-occurring Disorders

This 30-minute overview session will introduce participants to the emotional, physical, and socioeconomic factors that uniquely impact women during treatment, and especially how these factors relate to the assessment and screening of co-occurring disorders.

Learning Objectives

This overview session will address the assessment and screening of co-occurring disorders in women with a special focus on the following information:

• Women’s treatment history and current aspects of women-centered treatment in the United States, with a focus on the Midwest
• The link between trauma, substance use, and other co-morbidities in women
• Trauma-informed and culturally responsive approaches for specific racial/ethnic women in recovery
• Effective clinical strategies, interventions, and resources that help improve engagement, retention, and completion of treatment programs

Presenter:

Carmela J. DeCandia, PsyD

Carmela J. DeCandia, PsyD, is a licensed clinical child psychologist who has dedicated her career to advancing best practices and policies to support vulnerable children and families, and to improve the systems which serve them. In practice for nearly 30 years, her primary work focuses on building trauma-informed systems of care. Her specialties include: child and adolescent development, family homelessness,  addressing the impact of traumatic stress, program development and systems change, neurodevelopmental testing and family assessment. A compassionate clinician and effective leader, she is nationally recognized as a writer, advocate, and public speaker. She has led direct service and national agencies including St. Mary’s Women and Children’s Center and The National Center on Family Homelessness. Currently, Dr. DeCandia is the Owner and President of Artemis Associates, LLC where she provides training and consultation to organizations  to enhance resilience for children, families, and their providers. In addition, she maintains a clinical practice in neurodevelopmental and psychological testing of children at Strong Roots Counseling center, and is the Principal Investigator on a NICHD funded project to develop the screening instrument - NEST Early Childhood. Dr. DeCandia has published extensively in academic journals and educational reports, and lectures on lifespan development and psychological testing at Boston College Graduate school in Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology. For her work, she was named the recipient of the 2016 Horace Mann Spirit of Service Award by Antioch University.

The Great Lakes ATTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.