CMHS Consumer Affairs E-News March 6, 2003 Vol.
03-14
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Treating Co-occurring Disorders
NEW STUDY HIGHLIGHTS EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR CO-OCCURRING DISORDERS
A new report, released today by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA) and two national organizations, outlines
effective treatment strategies for individuals who suffer from both mental
illnesses and substance abuse disorders.
"Strategies for Developing Treatment Programs for People With Co-Occurring
Substance Abuse and Mental Disorders," is a joint effort of the National
Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, the State Associations of
Addiction Services and SAMHSA.
"Science and countless personal stories demonstrate co-occurring mental and
addictive disorders are treatable and recovery is possible," said SAMHSA
Administrator Charles G. Curie. "The systems of services that help make
recovery possible have evolved in exciting ways over the past few decades. The
time has come to ensure that all Americans who experience co-occurring
disorders have access to appropriate, integrated treatment and supportive
services. This new report offers creative and innovative ways to initiate
change and develop innovative programs that provide services for individuals
of all ages who have co-occurring disorders."
The report contains descriptions of programs in diverse settings that deliver
effective treatment for different types of people with co-occurring disorders.
The materials describe strategies and tools that are simple, inexpensive and
replicable. In the report, programs describe how they were able to access and
leverage local, state and federal funds that provide basic support for
treatment.
"We are excited about the report's contents and very pleased that this
represents the first time to our knowledge that a co-occurring inquiry of this
size has been undertaken by representatives of both the mental health and
substance abuse provider communities," said Charles G. Ray, National Council
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare President and CEO. "The
result is a candid assessment, from various points of view, of what works and
what does not work. We believe the findings offer practical guidance and
real-world solutions to those who have struggled with launching their own
co-occurring disorder treatment programs."
David Faulkner, President of State Associations of Addiction Services,
commented, "This report highlights what treatment providers are all too aware
of: that our regulations, funding streams, organizational structures, and
patterns of practice were not designed to facilitate treatment of clients with
co-occurring disorders. But the report also indicates that determined and
creative leaders can overcome those obstacles. Our challenge now is to show
public officials and treatment professionals how to eliminate the barriers and
design effective systems of care."
The report recommends next steps that include:
• Strengthening systems of care at the state, county, and regional levels;
• Fostering workforce development strategies;
• Developing roadmap products that will build on current knowledge for
developing treatment programs and systems of care;
• Promoting networking among participants and other stakeholders involved in
building treatment programs and systems of care for people with co-occurring
disorders;
• Enabling these groups to share information and tools more easily;
• Increasing program support, especially as programs transition from grants to
ongoing sources of revenue;
• Establishing new approaches to funding issues.
The report is available online at the National Council's website
www.nccbh.org/cooccurringreport.pdf and at the SAAS website,
www.saasnet.org. Additional copies are
also available online at www.samhsa.gov,
or by calling SAMHSA's clearinghouse at (800) 789-2647.
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare is a membership
organization dedicated to ensuring appropriate and affordable mental health
and substance abuse services. The National Council works for the provision of
accessible, effective, and cost-efficient behavioral healthcare services.
State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS) is a nonprofit organization
whose membership consists of state drug and alcohol abuse prevention and
addiction treatment associations. The state associations offer education,
training, advocacy, information dissemination, and technology transfer
services for their member community-based service providers.
SAMHSA, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, is the lead federal agency for improving the quality and
availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental
health services in the United States. Information on SAMHSA's programs is
available on the Internet at www.samhsa.gov.
Last Updated on
04/14/04
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