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Treating the Whole Person: Closing the Gap Between Dual Diagnosis Philosophy and Clinical Reality

Benjamin Carney, LCSW
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Date & Time

Description

Individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders have historically been treated in separate systems of care, often requiring one condition to be stabilized before the other could be addressed. Decades of research have demonstrated that this fragmented approach is associated with poorer engagement, higher relapse rates, increased psychiatric symptoms, and less favorable long-term recovery outcomes, contributing to the emergence of integrated dual diagnosis treatment as the evidence-based standard of care. Despite broad consensus among researchers, professional organizations, and treatment guidelines, fully integrated treatment remains less common than many assume, with numerous programs identifying as dual diagnosis capable while continuing to rely primarily on substance-focused models in which mental health treatment is secondary, limited, or insufficiently integrated. This presentation examines the evolution of integrated treatment from a specialty approach to an accepted standard of care, reviews the evidence supporting simultaneous treatment of mental health and substance use disorders, and explores the ongoing gap between best practices and real-world implementation. Participants will learn how comprehensive, whole-person treatment can support improved engagement, retention, symptom stabilization, and long-term recovery outcomes across residential and other behavioral healthcare settings.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Assess the prevalence and clinical significance of co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.

  • Compare treatment outcomes associated with integrated dual diagnosis treatment versus traditional substance use disorder-only models of care.

  • Evaluate the impact of psychiatric symptom burden on relapse vulnerability, treatment participation, and recovery trajectories.

  • Incorporate evidence-based integrated treatment principles into assessment, treatment planning, and clinical decision-making.

  • Formulate comprehensive treatment recommendations that address the full spectrum of biopsychosocial needs commonly observed in individuals with co-occurring disorders.

  • Identify at least three organizational and clinical practices that distinguish genuinely integrated programs from programs that provide primarily parallel or substance-focused treatment.

Educational Goal

The educational goal of this workshop is to help participants understand the evolution of integrated dual diagnosis treatment from an innovative approach to an expected standard of care, examine the ongoing gap between evidence-based practice and real-world implementation, and recognize how truly integrated treatment of co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders can improve client engagement, treatment outcomes, and long-term recovery.

Target Audience

  • Addiction Professional
  • Counselor
  • Marriage & Family Therapist
  • Nurse
  • Physician
  • Psychologist
  • Social Worker

Presenters

Benjamin Carney, LCSW
Benjamin Carney is a licensed clinical social worker who received his social work masters degree from the University of Utah. He is the Director of Clinical Services at Turning Point Centers, a collection of five residential treatment centers, two outpatient clinics, and a transitional living site serving mental health primary and dual diagnosis individuals.

Financially Sponsored By

  • Acadia Healthcare Treatment Placement Specialists® (TPS)