Retired Task Forces and Programs
Mental Illness/Substance
Abuse Task Force
Existing mental health and substance abuse services and facilities were determined
to be insufficient and inadequate to provide care for individuals with dual
diagnosis of drug/alcohol addiction and mental health problems during WCHP's
1995 health assessment. Among respondents to the household survey who reported
that someone in their household had been treated for a mental health or emotional
problem, 15.5% reported that a family member had a drug or alcohol problem,
while those who reported that a family member had a drug abuse or alcohol problem,
23.7% reported that a household member had been treated for a mental health
or emotional problem. According to focus group participants, in order to treat
those with MISA, counselors should be cross-trained so that they are able to
provide appropriate care for both the mental health and substance abuse aspects
of a person's illness.
The task force developed the following three goals to address the identified problems and spent the next eight years (from 1996 to 2003) working to achieve them: 1) Increase awareness of MISA in the community; 2) Increase community awareness of existing services available to people with MISA and their families; 3) Establish new, community-based and professional services for MISA clients.
The task force developed adult and adolescent support groups, as well
as community educational activities designed to enhance awareness of
the needs of clients who are both mentally ill and substance abusers.
The adult support group, called "Double Trouble," began in
1997, and was later renamed "Dual Recovery Anonymous (DRA)." This
support group still meets every week at the Sunlight Club in Washington and
has an average attendance of 30 to 50 people. In addition, a directory listing
the agencies that provide services to
MISA clients was developed and distributed to clients and professionals.
A series of eight successful professional cross-training programs were
held by the task force for 550 professionals from local agencies that
dealt with dually diagnosed clients and their families (see timeline).
These programs were funded by mini-grants from Washington County Drug
and Alcohol, The Washington Hospital Foundation, the United Way, and
Monongahela Valley
Hospital. Prior to the trainings, a focus group with 32 participants was held
in January 1998 to determine the MISA cross-training needs. The task force
laid the groundwork and was paramount in Washington County securing one of
four $500,000 competitive Pennsylvania Department of Health grants to develop
MISA programs.
The MISA Task Force officially retired in November 2003, after having
reached its three goals. However, dedicated former members have been
working with the Assistant District Attorney to establish a drug treatment
court that recognizes the importance of a mental health
treatment component.