Posted 15 Jul 2009 - 18:46 by editor
"Clearly, improved treatment and management of comorbidity requires better coordination and collaboration between MH and AOD services. "
"...perhaps in the future, there may be a MH/AOD assessment team, who are adept at recognising both categories of presenting symptoms, and who then refer on to individuals who have developed specific expertise in particular areas."
"For true collaboration and integration to be achieved, we need to make both systems worth working in; we need to establish an environment that promotes excellence; and we need to overcome the progressive "dumbing down" and degrading of the two sectors, which has seen service provision become generic and devalued.' Another hurdle to be overcome is that MH and AOD have traditionally worked under different models, and it is unlikely that the longstanding differences in the cultures, traditions and languages of the two sectors will be resolved overnight."
Some quotes from an article that appeared in Of Substance (Volume 5 No 1) titled ‘Comorbidity: A Chance for Change', in 2007, by Libby Topp (pp16-19)
Click here to read what was written about comorbidity and the benefits for the AOD sector.