Integrated Treatment Group Curriculum for People with Serious Mental Health Conditions Who Use Substances

Without proper treatment, people with co-occurring mental health and substance use problems are at great risk for poor outcomes and high treatment costs in multiple domains. Intermediary organizations can provide support to programs implementing integrated treatment and other evidence-based practices; this includes developing practical tools for programs built to encourage fidelity to a particular practice. In this paper, we describe a group curriculum workbook designed to help practitioners provide integrated treatment with fidelity and a pilot learning collaborative to evaluate whether this workbook is a helpful tool for programs to support people with serious mental health conditions and substance use in identifying and achieving personal goals. Results of the pilot found that nearly all participants demonstrated progress with respect to their identified goals, and group facilitators reported that the workbook was easy to use, that participants enjoyed the material, and that they intended to continue offering the group as part of their regular programming.