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Building Bridges:
Co-Occurring Mental Illness and Addiction: Consumers and Service Providers,
Policymakers, and Researchers in Dialogue
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Conclusion
The dialogue on co-occurring issues provided an opportunity for consumers
to engage service providers, policymakers, and researchers on the topic of
co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders. All groups learned from
hearing firsthand experiences of living with disorders and receiving services,
of providing services, and of studying the issue. The dialogue format provided
a level playing field for all participants to freely exchange ideas, knowledge,
and solutions that promote recovery.
Dialogue participants identified and discussed the many longstanding systemic
barriers to appropriate treatment and support services for people with co-occurring
disorders, including separate administrative structures, eligibility criteria,
and funding streams, as well as limited resources for both mental health services
and substance abuse treatment. In addition, participants provided recommendations
that support successful partnerships between the two groups, address the barriers
to effective services, and promote recovery. The dialogue recommendations represent
the united voice of those who receive services and those who provide them,
build on the findings of the SAMHSA Report to Congress, and emphasize that
people with co-occurring disorders can and do recover.
DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 04-3892
Printed 2004
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