Chicanos(as)/Mexican Americans are among the fastest growing groups in the United States with a growth rate six times that of non-Hispanic Whites (Giachello, 2001). With a growth rate that has doubled over the last two decades, Latinos now represent 11.7%, or around 31.7 million, of this country's total population today.
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This treatment project was designed to assist participating Latinas with achieving sobriety, improving their parenting skills, improving family relations and expanding natural support networks; and increasing the community's capacities to address substance abuse and HIV/AIDS among Latina mothers. Services were gender specific and were provided by culturally competent staff, in either English or Spanish. Through inter-organizational collaboration, including co-location of services, referrals and advocacy, participants had increased access to health, mental health, recovery and social service resources. Results from this study of N=130 substance using females showed positive treatment effects, including decreased substance use, decrease HIV/AIDS risk and improved mental health.
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