-
Co-Occurring System of Care Committees (COSOCCs): An Innovative Regional Approach to Integrated Care
The integration of care for individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders continues to elude our healthcare and social service systems despite a nearly universal acknowledgment of its importance, both to the individuals afflicted with these conditions and the viability of...
-
NYS OMH ACT Teams Utilize Harm Reduction Techniques
Harm Reduction can be a useful tool to help address potentially risky, dangerous, or self-destructive behaviors, including drug addiction, unsafe sexual activities, self-harm, and binge eating. The goal of harm reduction is to make dangerous behaviors safer, and to reduce the level of harmful...
-
Compassionate Care for Substance Users in Traditional Settings
Like many other mental health treatments, substance use treatment has struggled with high dropout rates and problems with engaging clients. Only 0.9 percent of people who have some substance use issues engage in treatment. While some of this may be the client’s internal reluctance to get care,...
-
Why Not Harm Reduction for Problem Gambling?
Harmful gambling is a public health issue. As types of gambling products and accessibility to gambling have increased, so too have concerns as to the harm associated with this behavior. While there is evidence of the harm cause by some forms of land-based gambling such as electronic gambling...
-
The Sensory Comfort Cart: A Portable Resource to Assist in the Recovery of Patients with Co-Occurring Diagnoses
This article describes a brief history of sensory modalities in mental health and substance abuse treatment, the purpose and current use of a sensory comfort cart at NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Division (NYPWD), early patient outcomes, and implications for discharge and recovery. Brief...
-
Co-Occurring Disorders Among Social Workers
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (SUD) affected an estimated 8.1 million adults or 3.7% of the total adult population in the United States....
-
“I’m Not Strong – I’m Steel” Life and Recovery with Co-Occurring Disorders
You may have heard it before: acceptance is the first step in recovery. Nothing could be truer, as was made abundantly clear as each of us shared our histories together in a discussion about Behavioral Health News “Understanding and Treating Co-Occurring Disorders” issue. Trauma leading to...
-
Innovation into Practice: The Future is Now
Innovators and experienced providers are joining together to build the infrastructure required to meet the needs of people living with co-occurring mental health conditions and substance use disorders, as well as physical health care conditions. They are facilitating networks to address social...
-
Managing Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders
The combination of substance use disorders and mental illness is a common clinical problem – and a serious public health concern. The problem is widespread. At least one-third of people with anxiety and depression – and between half and two-thirds of people with more serious mental illnesses...
-
Promoting Recovery for Individuals with Unidentified Trauma and Co-Occurring Disorders
Advancement of recovery for individuals with Co-Occurring Disorders has been recognized as a significant principle for the transformation of behavioral health services. Co-Occurring Disorders is defined as a mental health disorder being experienced along with the presence of a substance use...
