Co-occurring mental health and drug dependency disorders: work-force development challenges for the AOD field

In this paper it is argued that the sheer extent of the co-occurrence of mental health and drug dependency disorders means inevitably that alcohol and other drug (AOD) staff encounter such problems. However, it is contended that the AOD work-force has a number of characteristics that often act as impediments to people with co-occurring disorders receiving, in that sector, appropriate, integrated, 'one-stop-shop' care. Nevertheless, because of the configuration of mental health services in Australia, as essentially acute services for people with severe mental illnesses, there has been, and will continue to be, an overspill of people with mental health disorders and drug problems disorders into the AOD sector. It is there absolutely necessary that initiatives are put into place that support and enable the AOD sector to respond more effectively to people with co-occurring disorders.