Purpose. The purpose of this research as to assess the impact of the support of family and friends and social services on women's completion of a residential drug treatment program. Having a child in foster care and/or receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) are the two social services included in this study. The study's hypotheses are that: 1) Women who perceive that they have social support from friends and family are more likely to complete residential drug treatment than women who perceive they have less social support. 2) Women who receive social services are more likely to complete treatment than women who don't receive social services. To date, little research has been conducted on the impact of social support and additional social services on women's drug recovery outcomes.

Method. Systematic random sampling was used, where every other woman entering treatment was invited to participate in the study. The sample includes 117 women who enrolled in a women's residential substance abuse treatment program in a Midwestern state during 2003 – 2004. The women range in age from 18 to 55, and are from both urban and rural areas. Data were collected using a life history calendar, a social support survey, a three-month follow-up interview, and women's treatment records. Bivariate analyses, primarily t-tests, and Cox regression analyses were used to assess the impact of the independent variables of social support and social services on the dependent variable of treatment completion.

Results. The results suggest that women who perceived they received social support were more likely to complete treatment than women who believed they were not supported. The respondents also reported higher mean levels of support from family and friends at the three-month follow-up than on the original responses, suggesting that family and friends may become more supportive as women progress through their recovery process. Whether or not she has a child in foster care did not seem to matter. Surprisingly, women receiving public assistance (TANF) are more likely to discharge than women who do not have public assistance. Interestingly, drug usage and drug treatment history also do not seem to matter.

Implications for Practice and Policy. These findings suggest that social support from family and friends is positively associated with drug recovery outcomes. When this is lacking, practice strategies should be developed to address the unmet social support needs of women in drug recovery. Further, policymakers should assess the impact of current TANF legislation on women's drug recovery process.