Falling Through The Cracks: An Evaluation Of The Need For Integrated Mental Health Services And Harm Reduction Services

This project addressed the barriers to treatment for people with concurrent mental health and drug use issues. Mental health services generally operate separately from drug use programs; clients are often required to deal with one issue before they can access treatment for the other, and people with concurrent disorders frequently fall through the cracks of the health system. Researchers used focus groups to learn how client and service providers experienced the health system. Findings include problems with stigma and negative encounters with abstinence-based treatments. A harm-reduction approach is recommended that integrates mental health services into drug use treatment programs without the demand for abstinence. Researchers are gathering resources to create a treatment program based on this model.