What is integrated dual diagnosis treatment?

It is not uncommon for a person fighting alcoholism to have what is known as a dual diagnosis, or the coexistence of another mental health diagnosis along with alcoholism. The individual drugs of choice, mental health conditions and treatment needs will also vary greatly. Turnbridge is a recognized treatment provider for young people struggling with mental health disorders, substance use disorders and dual diagnosis. At that time, there was already a growing consensus on the importance of integrating treatments for both mental illness and addiction, as reflected in the fundamental work of Robert E.

Cutting-edge instructional design provides professionals with all the materials needed for successful integration of these evidence-based practices. Dual diagnosis is quite common among young men, as more than 42.7 percent of people with a year-long addictive disorder also experienced a one-year old mental disorder. Some mental health providers argue that they cannot verify a client's diagnosis of mental illness if the client has an active substance abuse problem and will not consider them a suitable candidate for mental health treatment until the substance abuse problem is under control. Integrating substance use disorder treatment with psychiatric treatment is considered more favorable than treating these disorders in a parallel or sequential manner, but the evidence base is not conclusive.

Evidence now shows that parallel treatment modalities, or separate approaches for each individual disorder, are not effective for long-term recovery. In addition, because many states and communities still have a systemic divide between mental health and substance abuse services, providers must deal with two sets of billing structures and two sets of regulatory guidelines that make the task of integrating services even more daunting. This 6-hour online course will help physicians develop a deep understanding of the skills needed to integrate treatment, giving people with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders the best chance of recovery. We address the dual disorders of each individual simultaneously in the same environment, by the same physicians.

Existing approaches to treating dual disorders were generally informal, not research-driven, and “not the product of everyone's best efforts,” Kruszynski said. A collaborative approach that integrates systems that treat clients with mental illness and substance use disorders not only gains momentum, it also makes sense. You see, dual diagnosis often gets in the way of functional capabilities and the desire to carry out what seems like normal daily tasks.