The purpose of this project is to present best practice guidelines related to early intervention, outreach and community linkages for women with substance use problems. The project was initiated by Health Canada as part of a research agenda developed by the Federal/ Provincial/Territorial Working Group on Accountability and Evaluation Framework and Research Agenda (ADTR Working Group).

The report is organized into five main sections:
• Introduction: The background, methodology and research activities.
• Literature review: A critical analysis of published and unpublished research related to early intervention, outreach and community linkages for women with substance use problems.
• Interviews with key experts: A summary of the key insights from experts with various backgrounds, including treatment consultants, managers and clinical professionals from provincial and territorial jurisdictions.
• Focus groups: A summary of the perspectives of women who are or have been in need of early intervention, outreach and community linkages to address substance use.
• Best practices: Statements gleaned from the synthesis of the literature review, key informant interviews and/or focus groups.