Co-Occurring Treatment: Steps for Success

Many individuals struggle with mental health disorders and substance use disorders (SUD), also known as co-occurring disorders. In cases with two or more conditions, integrated care is recommended.

Having two or more disorders can entangle the diagnosis and treatment process. Integrating screening and treatment for mental and SUD improves the quality of care and health outcomes for those living with co-occurring conditions by treating the whole person.

First Things First: Insurance Verification

Before the treatment process begins, the providing treatment facility should confirm the method of payment that will be used. Will insurance cover the cost, or will the customer be paying out-of-pocket? What about a deductible or copayment? The questions are never-ending.

Understanding insurance policies can be infuriating and unclear, but it doesn’t have to be. To help you learn the process, Crownview Co-Occurring Institute has created a summary of the most common terms associated with insurance plans, including:

• Deductible: The cost the client has to cover for their health care insurance yearly before the insurance provider takes accountability for any additional payment.
• Coinsurance: If the coinsurance is 10% and the doctor’s visit costs $1,000, the client must pay $100.
• Copayment: This entails the established cost required to pay for a covered health care exam, including surgery, an ER visit, or a check-up. Depending on the specific insurance plan, the copay could be due before or after the deductible is paid.
• Out-of-Pocket Maximum: The maximum amount of money the client will have to pay yearly for covered services.
• Policy Effective Date: The date that the insurance company will begin to help the client pay for the treatment services.
• Open Enrollment Period: A set period that usually transpires in December.
• Special Enrollment Periods: Occurs after a special event such as a birth, new job, marriage, or losing health coverage.

Consultation and Clinical Assessment

Once resources for payment are verified, a trained clinician will begin a consultation where a clinical assessment is conducted to determine the best program for the client.

Screening and assessment are essential to identifying and treating clients with co-occurring disorders in a suitable, effective, and personalized manner to their needs. The assessment process helps fulfill a critical requirement, as most individuals with co-occurring disorders receive either treatment for only one condition or no treatment at all.

The assessment process is a “multifactor, biopsychosocial approach,” which determines the symptoms and diagnoses present and how to customize conclusions about treatment and follow-up care based on assessment outcomes. Most counselors can initiate the screening process. Understanding why, whom, and when to screen validated tools to employ are the keys to success.

Treatment centers like Crownview Co-Occurring Institute formulate individualized treatment programs tailored to each client. After the assessment is complete, the treatment center may work through phases as part of the treatment process.

A standard structure would provide steps to follow, for example:

• Acclimation: build a highly-structured, considerate, and safe environment to permit the clients to adjust to treatment.
• Resocialization: maintain the structure as the clients rediscover their social values, beliefs, and norms.
• Developing life skills: the clients exhibit the ability to start re-enforcing life skills for independence.
• Independence: the clients begin to employ the skills from the previous phases to show independence with a substantial decrease in staff structure.

Diagnosing and Providing Integrated Treatments for Co-Occurring Disorders

Integrated treatment coordinates mental and substance use interventions by connecting individuals to other providers who can provide individualized and personalized services to treat all aspects of mental health disorders and SUD.

A complete recovery is possible with integrated care and improved quality of life. Integrated treatment leads to better outcomes for individuals with co-occurring disorders, including:

• Decreased or discontinued substance use
• Progress in psychiatric symptoms and functioning
• Increased chance for successful treatment and recovery for both disorders
• Enhanced quality of life
• Decreased hospitalization
• Reduced medication interactions
• Increased housing stability
• Fewer arrests

Until recently, many believed it was more helpful to treat an individual’s SUD separately from their mental health issues until recently. The best option involves offering integrated care that treats co-occurring problems together.

Treatment for co-occurring disorders focuses on helping the client in many aspects and includes:

• Appropriate medication
• Medical detox
• Individual or group counseling
• Learning coping skills
• Treatment for mental health
• 12-step support groups for recovery
• Immersive or outpatient treatment

The “No Wrong Door” Policy

The “no wrong door” policy states that individuals will have access to care wherever they enter treatment. Effective systems must ensure that those who need treatment will be identified, assessed, and treated.

“No wrong door” means that people presenting for treatment for a mental disorder should be regularly screened for substance use disorder. Likewise, all people receiving treatment for substance use disorders should be screened for mental disorders.

Searching for help with co-occurring disorders and actually finding effective co-occurring disorder treatment can be challenging. Let Crownview Co-Occurring Institute help you in your quest. Crownview Co-Occurring Institute in Oceanside, CA, offers personalized psychiatric treatment for different levels of mental health disorders and co-occurring disorders, where we conduct the necessary assessments to determine and ensure you get the treatment needed for a successful recovery. Our customized approach assures that each client receives the best quality care with successful outcomes. CCI provides treatment programs to meet the physical and emotional needs for recovery. We want to support you from crisis to independence in a healing environment with a devoted team of professionals ready to help you regain control of your life. Let CCI help you with a successful long-term recovery. Call (760) 493-2887 today to learn about our effective treatment programs.