The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #47500

Joycelyn Whiten, PhD, Alcohol and Drug Program Administration, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, 1000 South Fremont Avenue, Building A-9 East, 3rd Floor, Alhambra, CA 91803, (626) 299-4500, jwhiten@dhs.co.la.ca.us and Verda Bradley, PhD, Department of Mental Health, Los Angeles County, 550 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90020.

Placement and accessible services for persons with co-ocurring drug/alcohol addictions and mental illness has been a long standing plight for both service providers and consumers. Co-morbid clients have been bound by systems that offer treatment for each problem separately in either the drug and alcohol treatment systems or mental health. Even after gaining access to service providers, treatment plans routinely did not address both problems. Four mobile teams, called "Sidekicks", were designed to provide a net to meet the needs of this particular population and in order to create a seamless system of care, linked the Los Angeles County Departments of Alcohol and Drug Administration and Mental Health in a collaborative effort. These three member teams have a Drug Counselor, a Mental Health Specialist and a Peer Advocate to provide integrated care. Intensive case management, provided by these teams, allowed clients to access and receive integrated services utilizing both treatment systems as well as other necessary services. This consumer-focused approach accepts the client wherever they are found and through close follow-up, supportive therapy and twenty-four hour availability, each day, help individuals achieve their highest level of functioning. Significant improvement in client's lives are sobriety, medical management and compliance, disengagement from the judicial systems, employment and independent living.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this poster session, the participant will be able to

• Discuss how a mobile team works as an integral part of the treatment system.
• Assess the effectiveness of a mobile team over time in the field and beyond in the care of the consumer.
• List five characteristics necessary for a mobile team dedicated to the treatment of the dually diagnosed consumer.

Keywords: Substance Abuse Treatment,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Public Health Service- Alcohol and Drug Program Administration Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employment