Addressing Substance Use and Co-Occurring Mental Health Concerns
Substance use and mental health difficulties frequently interact with and worsen each other. Whether a mental health issue or a substance use issue developed first or they developed simultaneously, they tend to complicate treatment of each other unless they are both treated at the same time. For this reason, WJCS offers specialized combined treatment for co-occurring disorders at our four Family Mental Health Clinics.
Our evidence-based practices in addressing co-occurring disorders includes medication-assisted treatment (MAT), Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT). Encompass, as well as a number of other evidence-based practices like Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for Substance Use Disorders, Seeking Safety, Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy.
A little more about the primary therapies we offer for the treatment of co-occurring disorders:
• WJCS’s Substance Use Disorders Intensive Outpatient Program (SUD IOP) is a 6-week program designed to bring substance-involved individuals from active substance use to early recovery, ready to capitalize on WJCS’s wide array of treatment and supports to fully realize their recovery goals.
• Encompass is an approximately 17-week treatment for individuals 12+ with co-occurring disorders (mental health and substance use) that utilizes well-established evidence-based best practices for treating co-occurring disorders, including motivational interviewing, contingency management, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and medication assisted treatment.
Encompass is offered in select community and school-based settings, with clinical consultation provided by Encompass developer Dr. Paula Riggs and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine. This is made possible thanks to the award of a Promising Practices grant by WMC Health to Family Services of Westchester in collaboration with the Harris project. Additional support is provided by the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health.
• Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) is a treatment program for significant others (parents, partners/spouses/girlfriends, and others) of people with substance use issues that teaches significant others how to take care of themselves while also changing their interactions with their substance-using loved one so that they seek treatment.
• Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is the use of medications, tailored to the individual, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a “whole-patient” approach to the treatment of substance use disorders, which research shows successfully treats these disorders, and for some people struggling with substance use, MAT can help sustain recovery. MAT is also used to prevent or reduce opioid overdose (SAMHSA.gov).
“The WJCS CRAFT program focuses on reinforcing the positive. Our son struggles with substance use and mental health challenges. My husband and I have learned how to better communicate with our son and how to better support him, and over time, we have seen tremendous growth on his part. We highly recommend this program to anyone who is struggling with a loved one’s substance use.”
Our son struggles with both mental health issues, specifically anxiety, and substance use disorder (misuse of marijuana). WJCS’ therapists have been specifically trained to work with both issues concurrently. I would highly recommend WJCS Encompass to anyone who has a dual diagnosis and is seeking help.
To enroll in WJCS’s Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment Program, or to inquire about insurance coverage, please contact our Central Intake Line at 914-607-4500.
For more information about WJCS’s Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment Program, contact: Sam Mogilensky, LMHC, Encompass Coordinator, at 914-949-6761 x2447; [email protected] or William A. Mullane, Ph.D., Director of Innovation, Integration, and Community Partnerships, at (914) 761-0600 x3211; [email protected]