Grant funds study with community organizations

A two-year federal grant will help an interdisciplinary team of UW–Madison researchers join forces with community organizations in Dane County to identify the service needs of women with substance abuse and mental health problems who are victims of violence.

According to principal investigator Joy Perkins Newmann, UW–Madison professor of social work, assessing needs will form the first phase of the $1.2 million study, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Nelba Chavez, SAMHSA administrator, says research shows clearly that existing health care systems are neither designed nor prepared to adequately address the often-related problems of substance abuse, mental illness and violence, and the impact these problems can have on children. The total 10-state, $8.5 million project is expected to generate valuable information about the pivotal role violence can play in the lives of women with substance abuse and/or mental disorders.

Newmann says she hopes the national collaborative study will lead to new treatment and service delivery strategies, including new models of service integration. She adds the local project, like many around the country, is designed to bring together members of the target population with community service providers and members of the research team in a common effort to assure the women’s voices are heard and their problems addressed.

“We are very excited about this project because it will provide a vehicle for the many people who care about these women to forge an alliance with them on their behalf,” she says. “It’s a project very much in keeping with the Wisconsin Idea.”