WSPIC is a unique collaboration among Connecticut Women's Consortium, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and Non-Profit Providers of Women's Specialty Services. WSPIC was created  as an initiative to improve the behavioral health system for women by incorporating best practices in gender-responsive and trauma-informed programming. WSPIC continues to be an exchange between community-based service providers, persons in recovery, the research community, national leaders and policy-makers.

WSPIC Documents and Tools

• WSPIC Info Brief
• Women's Specialty Programs Involved in WSPIC
• Gender Responsive Program Self-Assessment
• Outcome Measures for Women's Residence Services

Wspic has developed the following treatment guidelines for implementing gender-responsive care for women with substance use disorders. There are three sets of guidelines the full version, the core version (a more concise guide), and a version for co-ed programs.

• WSPIC Guidelines Flowchart
• Full Guidelines
• Core Guidelines
• For Programs Serving Men and Women

Groups, Committees and Projects

WSPIC Quartely Meetings and Annual Retreat- an opportunity  to look at next steps, education and the future of women's services in CT. Meetings feature noted speakers and provider panels.

WSPIC Best Practices - a forum to gather provider input and recommendations. The committee also implements strategies that will improve services to women. They have recently split into three subcommittees to work on projects they identified in their 2009 Action Plan.

• Interagency Subcommittee- This subcommittee work on collaborations among DCF, DMHAS,  DOC, CSSD, state agencies and other organizations. They recently guided the WSPIC Resource Fair.
• Implementation Subcommittee- This subcommittee is working on creating hands-on how-to guides of the WSPIC Guidelines and gender-specific care in the form of online trainings and a video.
• Training Subcommittee- Based on input from WSPIC, this subcommittee recommends trainings that are then implemented at the CWC.

WSPIC Guide Team-steering committee

Co-ed Pilots- The Morris Foundation and the Western Connecticut Mental Health Network are conducting pilot projects to implement gender responsive programming in co-ed programs using WSPIC guidelines.

Trauma-informed and Gender responsive (TiGr) - In early 2010, the WSPIC Initiative and Trauma Initiative have combined their efforts in an RFQ that blends both trauma-informed and gender-responsive care. The effort is still in the early stages.

Contacts

Cinda Cash, Executive Director, CWC
ccash@womensconsortium.org, (203) 909-6888 x 32

Olivia Yetter, Executive Assistant, CWC
oyetter@womensconsortium.org, (203) 909-6888 x 22

Terry Nowakowski, Assistant Director, DMHAS Statewide Services
terry.nowakowski@po.state.ct.us  (860) 418-6774