The research for this final project examines how modern welfare reform has affected chemically addicted females in moving from welfare dependency to economic efficiency, by reviewing existing literature, empirical data, interventions, and developing a collection of four papers. These papers examine how the relationship between public opinion and welfare policy directly reflects a change in the welfare system, and how argument and debate shape welfare policies and influence welfare reform initiatives. This author also explores existing literature to describe how past welfare reform initiatives affect female substance abusers and how modern welfare reform policy emphasizes how lack of vocational and educational training, substance abuse, and mental health are barriers to employment that can affect the long-term success of welfare reform and employment outcomes. This paper also discusses the effectiveness of treatment interventions for female substance abusers. These papers together demonstrate how policies and programs to move female substance abusers from welfare to work should be an integral component of treatment in order to provide successful employment outcomes for chemically dependent females on welfare.