Dual Diagnosis Capability in Addiction and Mental Health Treatment Measures
SAMHSA has sponsored the development of a Website to help States and community-based agencies put into practice two practical measures of program-level capacity to address co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders;
- Dual Diagnosis Capability in Addiction Treatment (DDCAT) Index, and
- Dual Diagnosis Capability in Mental Health Treatment (DDCMHT) Index
These measures provide objective, standardized and comparable benchmarks for co-occurring services in addiction and mental health programs. They are being used in over 30 States to improve services for individuals with co-occurring disorders.
Both the DDCAT and the DDCMHT examine seven areas:
- Program structure,
- Program milieu,
- Assessment,
- Treatment,
- Continuity of care,
- Staffing, and
- Training.
Programs are ranked along a continuum from Addiction or Mental Health Only Services, Dual Diagnosis Capable, and Dual Diagnosis Enhanced.
Results may be used to create action plans for supporting organizational changes. For example, some States work with agencies to create action plans from feedback gained through the measure and offer training and technical assistance to support steps towards quality improvement.
The new Website describes each measure, helps individuals choose which measures is best for their agency, and provides user-friendly access to the measures and how they are scored.
