Trauma and Substance Abuse Among Child Welfare Involved African American Mothers: A Case Study

Using a multiple embedded case study design, this study highlights the experiences of 26 African American mothers with substance-abuse histories who were trying to regain custody of their children, and 26 professionals who were helping these women accomplish that goal. Thematic analysis revealed that trauma interfered with these women's ability to successfully navigate child protection in two ways: external and internal expressions of trauma. Women who lost custody of their children had more external expressions of trauma and/or all four effects of trauma. Developing trauma-informed services for parents who are child welfare-involved is an important next step.