Program Goals and Rationale

Goal 1: Help program participants decrease their substance use.

Goal 2: Help program participants increase their community living days by decreasing the number of days spent in residential treatment facilities, both psychiatric and drug/alcohol.

• Rationale: The use and abuse of alcohol and drugs by individuals with serious and persistent mental illness adversely impacts the course of the mental illness as well as the individual's response to treatment, psychosocial functioning, and cost of care. Individuals with co-occurring disorders are often at greater risk of housing instability, symptom relapse, treatment noncompliance, violent behavior or threats of violence, suicidal ideation or attempts, cognitive impairments, difficulty budgeting funds, prostitution, social isolation and social difficulties, employment difficulties, hygiene and health problems, and legal problems.

Goal 3: Increase consumer satisfaction with services by providing a community-based peer support program that integrates rehabilitation interventions for both mental health and substance disorders.

• Rationale: The literature documents that best practices emerging for providing services to individuals with co-occurring disorders includes an integrated treatment approach where mental health and addiction services are provided by the same staff. Integrating services provides easier access to treatment, greater continuity of care, and an increase in consumer satisfaction.