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It may sound like government jargon, but a local community mental health organization has become the first in the state to address a widespread problem. Tri-County Mental Health Services has been approved as Missouri’s first community mental health center to provide Integrated Dual Disorders Treatment for persons with both mental illness and substance abuse problems. Because of the tendency for mental illness to bring a cascade of personal problems, even attempts at self-medication, dual disorders are tragically common. The approval means that hundreds of area residents can now seek qualified treatment. “This is great news for the community and for Tri-County!” said Tom Cranshaw, Tri-County CEO. “During our training, we learned that both mental illness and substance addiction are equal opportunity illnesses. They can happen to anyone. We also learned it’s no one’s fault if one of the illnesses occurs. But it is our collective responsibility to seek recovery from them. This designation helps us all to do so.” |
Granted by the Missouri Department of Mental Health, the approval recognizes Tri-County’s extensive efforts to serve those facing a combination of mental illness and substance abuse problems.
The designation follows months of work by Tri-County staff with the support of Mid-America Addiction Technology Transfer Center and the Missouri Institute of Mental Health. Tri-County received extensive public input through a volunteer Community Steering Committee that included behavioral healthcare consumers, educators, healthcare, public administrators, law enforcement and the faith community. The committee was instrumental in the creation of new services which are more responsive to community needs and people who are experiencing mental health and substance-use problems.
Cranshaw said the work included recognition that a large number of people seeking help with mental illness also deal with substance use, which can complicate recovery. Estimates are that 25 to 50 percent of the people seeking mental health services also experience substance use problems. Typically, people with these co-occurring conditions have been forced into a parallel method of treatment, where substance abuse is treated separately from mental health treatment.
Research shows that an integrated approach supports better recovery because it provides care and services in the same place by the same team. Tri-County utilizes a team of mental health practitioners who utilize a set of therapeutic strategies designed to help clients understand the impact of substance abuse on their lives in their own terms. This treatment has been shown to be particularly useful in addressing the ambivalence toward change experienced by many in treatment services.
Other comprehensive treatment services include screening and assessment, individual and group treatment services, community outreach, medication services, and employment services. Self-help is also an important component of recovery. A new Northland chapter of Dual Recovery Anonymous (DRA) is a new support group for recovering consumers run by recovering people utilizing a traditional 12-step approach. DRA meets each Friday evening at 7 p.m. at 1505 D Parvin Road, Kansas City and welcomes new members.
For further information contact Richard Odiam, Outpatient Services Manager, at Tri-County Mental Health Services, 816-468-0400.
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