There is now growing evidence, from neuroscience to epidemiology and health services research, that there are significant gender differences in mental health which means that treatments and services need to be tailored for men and women. This symposium focuses on recent research findings on gender sensitive mental health services for women with severe mental illness. Women with severe mental illness have specific reproductive needs and some countries have developed psychiatric mother and baby units for perinatal illness. Two papers will be presented on reproductive needs, one from the perspective of women considering whether or not to have children, and the other presented by a service user who presents research on the experience of different services during illness and recovery from postnatal psychosis. Women are also at increased risk of domestic violence and one paper discusses the results of a pilot project to improve how mental health services respond to domestic violence. The final paper reports from a study of another alternative model of gender-specific inpatient service provision, comparing women's crisis houses with general wards. Studies used qualitative and quantitative methodologies (e.g. individual qualitative interviews, patient preference RCT, and pilot study), and some preliminary data on effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different models of care will also be presented. Each paper demonstrates that women's mental health services need to address reproductive needs and their experiences of violence and abuse. Modern mental health services need to respond to gender-specific health and social care needs. This means developing and evaluating different models of service provision including mother and baby units, women's crisis houses and domestic violence services for women with severe mental illness. Keywords: Treatment effectiveness, Women''s health services, severe mental illness.