OASAS, OMH Announce Task Force on Co-Occurring Disorders

ALBANY, NY (06/14/2007)(readMedia)-- State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo and Office of Mental Health (OMH) Commissioner Michael F. Hogan, Ph.D., today announced creation of a statewide Task Force on Co-Occurring Disorders to better address the needs of individuals afflicted by both chemical dependence and mental health issues.

While strategies for promoting the recovery of individuals with co-occurring mental health and chemical disorders currently do exist, many do not reach the necessary levels to address treatment of this population on a large scale. The Task Force on Co-Occurring Disorders will be charged with making recommendations for a more streamlined system of care for persons suffering from co-occurring disorders, with the goal of improving treatment outcomes and lessening costs for New York taxpayers due to unnecessary duplication of services.

OASAS Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo said, “Collaboration is at the center of all we do here at OASAS, and we are pleased to work with our partners in the field of mental health on this important new venture. In 2006, 35 percent of patients in the OASAS system also suffered from a co-occurring mental health disorder. These individuals require a comprehensive treatment approach addressing both needs, and we’re confident that the recommendations of this Task Force will play an important role in our systems coming together on this issue.”

OMH Commissioner Michael F. Hogan, Ph.D., said, “As in the OASAS system, a high proportion of people with serious mental illness have co-occurring substance use problems. The last thing we should do when people are ready for recovery is to have bureaucratic barriers to integrated care. Because regulations, funding, and attitudes may all be involved, removing barriers will be hard work. But we owe it to consumers, families, providers and taxpayers to get it done.”

The Task Force on Co-Occurring Disorders will assist in the promotion of “Science to Practice” through an assessment of the current systems of care within OMH and OASAS and the identification of improvements in the delivery of care and outcomes. The Task Force will focus initially on a wide range of individuals (from adolescents to older adults), and make recommendations on how to better address the particular needs of sub-populations.

To serve as a resource to the Task Force, experts in the field of co-occurring disorders treatment and evaluation will be invited to attend meetings and be available for consultation with the sub-committees. These individuals include: Robert Drake and Mark McGovern, Dartmouth Medical School; Stan Sacks and Richard Rosenthal, Co-Occurring Center for Excellence; and Mary Jane Alexander, New York State Nathan Kline Institute. Dr. Drake and Dr. McGovern have accepted an invitation to present an overview of best /emerging practices related to the treatment of individuals with co-occurring disorders.

The Task Force, which is being organized currently, will be organized into sub-committees, based on three or four broad topics to be determined at the first meeting. Each sub-committee will summarize solutions for improving the implementation of clinically effective programs in OASAS- and OMH-licensed programs, increasing the likelihood of success for those in dual recovery.

The Task Force’s recommendations will be presented in a report this fall, and it is anticipated that Commissioners Carpenter-Palumbo and Hogan will present its findings to Governor Spitzer shortly thereafter.

For more information, please visit www.oasas.state.ny.us or www.omh.state.ny.us.

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