Integration of Health Services

This list of resources can assist providers and others in integrating behavioral and physical health care to better address the needs of individuals with co-occurring mental, physical, and substance use conditions.

Integration of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services

Northwest ATTC Webinars

• 5-part Integrated Treatment Webinar Series (Northwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast & Caribbean ATTCs, 2020
  • Defining and Assessing Integrated Behavioral Health Capacity
  • Organizational Structure and Service Environment
  • Staffing and Training
  • Intake, Screening, and Assessment
  • Integrated Treatment Planning, Service Provision, and Continuity of Care
• Treating Co-Occurring Trauma and Addiction: Intervening on Opioid, Alcohol, and Other Public Health Challenges. John Fitzgerald, PhD, LPC, CAS (OR Criminal Justice Commission, OHSU, PSU) and Mark Girard, MSW, LCSW (private practice), February 2019

Integrating Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Treatment Project

Working in conjunction with the Oregon Council on Behavioral Health (OCBH), 10 agencies were recruited to participate in this intensive TA project intended to helping mental health and substance use disorder treatment agencies enhance their level of service integration. The agencies completed an initial Dual Diagnosis Capability in Addiction Treatment (DDCAT) assessment, then participated in a 6-month learning collaborative that integrated NIATx process improvement components, coaching, and a change leader academy. 

At the end of the project, agencies participated in a follow-up DDCAT assessment to see what, if any impacts, project participation had on their agencies' level of service integration. The overall mean DDCAT score increased from 3.21 to 3.86 representing a clinically significant increase in dual diagnosis capability.

Additionally, at baseline DDCAT review only 30% of the programs were rated at the dual diagnosis capability level; by final review, that figure had grown to 71%.

To learn more about this project and its impact, read the project's final report and check out our blog post.

Additional Resources

• Dual Diagnosis Capability in Addiction Treatment (DDCAT) Index
• DDCAT Rating Scale
• Dual Diagnosis Capability in Mental Health Treatment (DDCMHT) Toolkit
• TIP 42: Substance Use Treatment for Persons with Co-Occurring Disorders (SAMHSA, updated in 2020) 

Integration of Physical and Behavioral Health

Northwest ATTC Webinars

• Team-Based Addictions Care in General Hospitals: Outcomes and Lessons from the Improving Addiction Care Team (IMPACT). Honora Englander, MD, Oregon Health & Science University, December 2019
• Buprenorphine for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorders: An Overview. P. Todd Korthuis, MD, MPH (OHSU), November 2018
• Management of Opioid Use Disorder in Primary Care. Joseph O. Merrill, MD, MPH, UW Associate Professor of Medicine, April 2018

Additional Resources

• SBIRT for Health and Behavioral Health Professionals: Online course on HealtheKnowledge
• Primary Care Providers Working in Mental Health Settings: Improving Health Status in Persons with Mental Illness: Online Course on HealtheKnowledge
• Center of Excellence for Integrated Health Solutions: A SAMHSA resource operated by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing for addressing healthcare integration. Provides clinical practice tools and resources for integrating mental health, substance use, and primary care.