Treatment for co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorders: State of the science; Challenges to implementing trauma-focused interventions in substance abuse treatment programs; NIDA Clinical Trials Network Women’s Treatment for Trauma and Substance Use Disorders: Issues in training and assessment.

These three presentations all address issues of women with trauma/PTSD and substance use disorders, a topic currently being examined by protocol CTN-0015 (“Women’s Treatment for Trauma and Substance Use Disorders”). The first presentation, “Treatment for Co-occurring PTSD and Substance Use Disorders: State of the Science,” addresses clinical challenges in the treatment of traumatic stress and addiction. The second presentation, “Challenges to Implementing Trauma-focused Interventions in Substance Abuse Treatment Programs,” compares “trauma-informed treatment” with “trauma-specific treatment,” and provides suggestions on ways to encourage the implementation of trauma programs in substance abuse treatment settings.

The final presentation, “NIDA Clinical Trial Network Women’s Treatment for Trauma and Substance Use Disorders: Issues in Training and Assessment,” addresses issues from protocol CTN-0015, comparing “Seeking Safety,” an intervention specifically developed to address co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorders, with “Women’s Health Education,” a program that focuses on understanding women’s health issues and empowerment, without a specific PTSD component. This presentation focuses on the challenges and benefits for counselors and supervisors who participated in the project, and offers suggestions on ways to improve training and clinical supervision in the future.

Related protocols: CTN-0015