Coordination of care.

• Jurisdiction: Australia
• Date: 01 September 2012
• Author: Green, Cheryl

There is increasing recognition of the challenges for services and clinicians to adequately assess and respond to consumers presenting with co-occurring mental health and alcohol and other drug (AOD) issues.

Both the National Mental Health Plan (2009) and the National Drug Strategy (2007) identify improving consumer outcomes by calling for coordination of services to build better systems of care.

Progress in this area has been limited for a range of factors including a lack of integrated policy direction and resource allocation across sectors. Clinicians in primary care and specialist areas of mental health and drug and alcohol services have reported a lack of training and confidence to...