Helping Women with Substance Treatment Resources - Government Events

Natalie Travis works as the Director of Operations at Turning Point, a national organisation that helped support over 200,000 people last year. Turning Point works in learning disabilities, mental health, sexual health and drug and alcohol services, which is what brought Nat to our Drugs and Substance Misuse Conference 2026, one of our busiest and most anticipated conferences every year.

Within the space of drug and alcohol services, Turning Point runs a large number of integrated community-based services, providing end-to-end treatment for both adults and young people. They also deliver services in the residential treatment space, both detoxing and rehabilitation. The organisation has over 5000 staff, around 60% of which have lived experience. Whether that’s themselves, or someone they know or love.

“It’s something that’s really important to us. The massive value that lived and living experience brings in services.” – Nat Travis

Nat noted that in drugs and alcohol services, the majority of staff are women but women are under represented in the treatment population. During her presentation, she displayed some statistics that highlight this lack of representation.

Understanding the Problem

Statistics at a glance:

People accessing adult drug and alcohol treatment are mostly men (68% men compared to 32% women).
The proportion varies by substance group with women representing less than 30% of people in treatment for drug use.
Alcohol sees a smaller divide with women representing 40% of those in treatment.
27% of women reported either being a parent or living with a child when they started treatment, compared to 15% of men.
Substance use is often seen after women have experienced intimate partner violence.
Alcohol Change research (2014) found two-thirds of ‘domestic’ incidents known to the police were found to involve at least one of the couple concerned being ‘under the influence’ of alcohol.

Looking at these statistics, you can understand why this conversation is important. The implications here are clear; men are more likely to get treatment, and we need to ask ourselves why this is.
Interestingly, Nat also highlighted how:

“Alcohol affects women differently to men. Women typically have higher body fat percentages, there are enzyme differences in women’s bodies and their biological makeup that make women tend to develop heart disease quicker and liver conditions quicker.And there are higher links around alcohol use with mental health, particularly in the space of anxiety and depression.” – Nat Travis

This is a strong example of the differences between men and women. In Nat’s case, the distinction is mainly biological, but it highlights an important issue: treating these conditions as the same for both men and women can lead to inappropriate advice or ineffective care. Greater effort is needed to improve understanding of how men and women respond to substances, both physically and psychologically.
Turning Point has found that, due to legacy system design, many services are better aligned with men’s needs than women’s. The need for more attention on this issue was further reinforced in 2021, when the Government’s new 10 year drug strategy was released. In the strategy, women were only mentioned three times, and each time it was in a broader context.

However, in 2025 the most recent clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment do have more of a focus on women, amongst other minority groups. For example, it details people experiencing domestic abuse, pregnancy or perinatal care, parents in alcohol treatment services and developing inclusive services for ethnic minority groups, LGBTQ+ people, women, older adults and people with learning disabilities or neurodevelopmental conditions.

“Given what we’ve talked about in terms of the impact of alcohol on women and how that affects women differently from men, that’s really welcome for us to see.” – Nat Travis

Turning Point sees it as a definite step in the right direction, growing the recognition of the differences between men and women in drug and alcohol treatment.

Substance and drug misuse rarely exist in isolation – they are often closely intertwined with underlying mental health challenges such as stress, anxiety, burnout, and depression. In the workplace, these pressures can quietly build, leading individuals to adopt unhealthy coping mechanisms that impact both personal wellbeing and organisational performance. Recognising the signs early and fostering a culture of openness and support is essential for prevention and recovery. These are exactly the kinds of conversations we’ll be exploring in more depth at our upcoming Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace Conference, where we’ll look at practical strategies for supporting employees, reducing stigma, and creating healthier, more resilient working environments. Find out more here.

Alongside her work at Turning Point, Nat is also part of the Women in Treatment Working Group, which is a subgroup of Collective Voice, the group representing third sector drug treatment providers. The part of their work that Nat discussed was the needs of women, and how as a society we can develop gender responsive services. The group produced the Womanifesto last September, which was aimed at the Department of Health and Social Care. It called for:

Women-only spaces in treatment centres and hospitals
Better support around motherhood and maternity
Co-designed women’s pathways and partnerships across services – it shouldn’t be tokenistic. Women should be involved from the beginning
A more gender responsive treatment system

In short, the Womanifesto is a set of objectives that would help break down the barriers to make treatment easier and more comfortable for women in the UK.

How are the barriers different for women?

Taken from Nat’s presentation, these bullet points summarise the different ways in which barriers present themselves for women trying to receive support for substance abuse.

Women in alcohol treatment services are often vulnerable, and a high proportion have experienced both childhood and adult trauma, including sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and domestic abuse.
Increasing gender-based violence.
Increased stigma; research shows that stigma experienced by people with alcohol problems in society is greater for women than for men.
Feelings of shame and anticipation of stigma from services are barriers to women accessing treatment.
Motherhood pressures, childcare and other caring responsibilities.
Wider systems built without women in mind e.g. criminal justice system.
Fragmentation and poorly joined up services – retaining women in treatment.
Treatment services have a much higher proportion of men; services can feel chaotic, intimidating or unsafe.

It’s important to note that no one is claiming that there are no barriers for men:

“That’s not to say that men don’t experience those same things. We know that they do. But actually, the incidence or proportion tends to be higher with women, and actually the way in which they experience some of those things tends to be different from men.” – Nat Travis

Nat next pointed towards research published a few years ago by the World Health Organisation which talked about how people who use substances are some of the most stigmatised people in society. If you’re a woman, or a mother who uses substances, ou are particularly stigmatised. Turning Point, this stigma is probably the biggest barrier to people receiving treatment, especially women.

Changing The Narrative

Reducing stigma requires a nationwide shift in mindset and an embracing of an environment where people don’t feel ashamed of getting help for the situations they are in. One of the best ways to help reduce stigma is to approach it as a public health issue, not a moral failing. Making this narrative shift whilst still at school is another great way to address and reduce stigma. Bringing understanding to young people, alongside mental health education, will build empathy alongside awareness.

Nat then discussed the ways in which caregivers can make treatment easier and more effective. For one, ensuring that the environment feels safe and welcoming is essential. This can be done by having clear boundaries with people, through clear communication, setting up routines and by avoiding/anticipating potential triggers for that person. It’s all about ensuring the person receiving treatment feels like they’re in control. This will result in trust and transparency, which importantly goes both ways for people in treatment.

One thing Nat sees works well is linking women with other women, as it can foster environments of mutual aid and peer support, where people help each other and create meaningful connections and communities. This idea of collaboration is essential, allowing people to have agency over their own goals and treatments. Making sure that they have ownership over their rehabilitation can really help how they view their situation and helps them to stay in control.

“Thinking about our language being non-judgmental, inclusive, and validating. And think about how we position questions thoughtfully so they don’t come across as blaming or accusatory.” – Nat Travis

Creating treatment plans from the ground up that address the unique needs of women will transform how they engage with treatment. Reducing as much friction as possible for people receiving support and treatment is the goal here. Service providers must accept and accommodate for the fact that women often require different forms of care to men. Turning Point believes that work needs to be done to improve the women-first treatment plans through having women involved in the creation of these treatments from the beginning.

We’d like to thank Nat Travis for speaking at the The Drugs and Substance Misuse Conference 2026, her expertise in this area and her work for Turning Point made her invaluable on the day, as we collaborate towards a brighter future for drugs and substance treatment and responses. Our upcoming Mental Health in the Workplace Conference is an excellent opportunity to explore how we can remove harmful mental states from workplaces. Find out more here.