Research Brief
Integrating Treatment for People with Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorders in Public Systems of Care
Jul 12, 2006
Substance Abuse with Mental Disorders
Specialized Public Systems and Integrated Care
Published In: Health Affairs, v. 25, no. 1, May/June 2006, p. 648-658
Posted on RAND.org on January 01, 2006
Separate public financing and regulation of substance (SA) abuse treatment distinct from mental health (MH) treatment preserves a focus on the special needs of those with substance abuse but creates challenges to providing appropriate care for the large number of people with co-occurring conditions. This paper reviews recent efforts to overcome these challenges through clinical and systems approaches that better integrate care. Although much progress has been made for some subgroups of people with co-occurring disorders, further efforts to develop and sustain clinically integrated service delivery approaches within separate systems, particularly in SA treatment settings, are needed.
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