The dual diagnosis clinician shared care model – a clinical mental health dual diagnosis integrated treatment initiative

To improve outcomes for people with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, the Eastern Health Mental Health Service implemented an integrated treatment model known as the dual diagnosis clinician shared care model. This study aims to provide evidence for a relatively unexplored model in clinical mental health services within the state of Victoria, Australia.

Dual diagnosis clinicians were placed into community mental health clinics in a shared-care, modified case management role, to provide primary and secondary consultations to select consumers and/or their carers, as well as to provide capacity-building training to the mental health staff facing real world clinical challenges in dual diagnosis service delivery.

Since the commencement of this service, more than 800 consumers of the adult mental health service have been supported to concurrently address their harmful substance use, while receiving recovery-focused community mental health care. Preliminary findings include previously unknown figures on the prevalence for co-occurring substance use at the point of referral and a demonstrated preference by consumers for treatment of both disorders at the same time by the same service (in-house treatment).

The establishment of a dedicated, integrated dual diagnosis team has significantly increased the capacity of a community-based clinical mental health service to engage with and treat consumers with dual diagnosis disorders. This model is beginning to produce evidence challenging traditional siloed approaches to mental health and alcohol and drug treatment.