To foster the implementation of integrated approaches for New York State residents with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse conditions.

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CEIC Activity Around the State | Building Capability

In November 2008, the New York State Health Foundation funded CEIC to help substance abuse and mental health outpatient programs across New York State to improve their capability to provide “integrated care” (services for both addiction and mental health problems), a process known as “building co-occurring capability” or, simply, “building capability.” For the 4-year life of the initiative, CEIC technical assistance specialists will work with providers, free of charge, to help each program achieve a higher level of integrated care.

In keeping with the interagency efforts of the New York State Offices of Mental Health (OMH) and of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) to improve services for co-occurring conditions statewide, CEIC is targeting seven areas in which increases in integrated care can be realized. To assist OMH- and OASAS-licensed outpatient clinics in “building capability,” CEIC delivers defined services in five categories. CEIC’s system of Target Areas and Services conforms to the structure of the “Dual Diagnosis Capability in Addiction and Mental Health Treatment” (the DDCAT and DDCMHT) indexes, a nationally recognized system of measuring and advancing co-occurring capability. The indexes incorporate 35 items across 7 dimensions of care, and assign three levels of “dual diagnosis” (or co-occurring) capability: Addiction or Mental Health Only Services (AOS or MHOS); Dual Diagnosis Capable (DDC); and Dual Diagnosis Enhanced (DDE).

CEIC technical assistance begins with an on-site assessment that determines the program’s existing level of capability and develops a strategic plan for advancing to the next level, capitalizing on programmatic strengths and respecting resource restrictions. A confidential report is prepared for each program, containing details of the current capability level as well as observations and recommendations for improvement. Once the assessment has been completed, the program is eligible for follow-up technical assistance in building capability in the form of a CEIC-sponsored Forum (for groups of programs), as well as in continued access to individual support.

“Full integration” (services that fully treat both mental health and substance use conditions) is often presented as the only option, but is rarely achieved. In working with hundreds of programs statewide, CEIC has found that providers usually underestimate their current level of co-occurring capability. As New York State moves towards a system of outpatient care comprised of programs in the “capable” to “enhanced” capability range, CEIC technical assistance aims to help providers advance to the next level of integrated care – to “co-occurring capable” for those who are closer to “mental health or addiction only,” and to “co-occurring enhanced” for those who are already “co-occurring capable.