Dual Diagnosis Program
Consumers who experience
comorbid mental health and substance use problems require that care of both
problems, be provided as core business from both mental health and drug and
alcohol services.
For Mental Health and
Alcohol and Drug treatment services Dual Diagnosis (DD) is the RULE not the
exception and this leads to a greater level of complexity with consumers at
increased risk of a range of poor outcomes including serious physical
illness, social isolation and despair, self-harm and suicide.
The LRHMHS Dual
Diagnosis Program plays an important role in assisting Mental Health Services
(both clinical and non-clinical), and Alcohol and other drug services to
increase their capacity to support consumers and carers.
Priority activities for the LRHMHS Dual Diagnosis Program
include
·
Assisting individual services
to establish quality dual diagnosis practices within their services that meet
the requirements of the Dual Diagnosis Key Directions and Priorities Action
Plan 2007-2010.
·
Providing education and
training to all stakeholders.
·
Working collaboratively with
statewide Dual Diagnosis teams in developing consistent standards of service
delivery, best practice and providing advice to the Department of Human
Services.
·
Working with the Victorian DD
Education Unit in the design and delivery of dual diagnosis education and
training across both Victorian mental health and drug and alcohol workforces.
·
Managing projects that will
promote service improvement, for example, the reciprocal rotation project.
·
Supporting the provision of
direct care in each sector to assist with complex dual diagnosis
presentations in collaboration with senior clinical staff, or case managers
|