Exploring women’s lived experiences of substance use and social work to inform social work education and practice, an Irish perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACT Mothers dealing with substance use face increased stigma when interacting with the health and social systems, putting them under pressure. Contemporary Irish social work policies emphasize Hidden Harm, which prioritizes the well-being of the child. Though this is necessary to an extent to protect children in social care situations, the needs of parents are often unconsidered. Likewise, their perspectives on social work are underrepresented within the field’s discourse. This study explores the perspectives of Irish women in substance use treatment on their experiences within the social work system. A semi-structured group discussion methodology was utilized. All women who were engaged with services at Agency One and Two, two women-only substance use treatment facilities, were invited to participate. Nine discussion groups were formed across the two services. A total of n = 47 women participated in the study. The participants reported a lack of support and transparency from social work professionals and overwhelmingly negative experiences in the care system. Experiences of intergenerational pathways to entering the care system were strongly present. The experiences of the participants were largely negative and contradicted Ireland’s social work policies. Continued perspectives from this population, along with social work professionals, are necessary.