Accounting for Cognitive Impairment in Concurrent Disorders Treatment: Practical Resources to Meet the Needs of Our Most Complex Clients.

Abstract

Much has been written about the interplay between mental health and substance use disorders. However, there is a third dimension, which often complicates the provision of care and renders many mainstream approaches less effective. Cognitive impairments, including those that arise from traumatic brain injury, are increasingly being recognized as an important consideration in addictions programming. This article will discuss the findings from a cross-sectorial partnership between the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and Community Head Injury Resource Services of Toronto (CHIRS). Four recommendations for program administrators are proposed: (1) support screening for brain injury; (2) use free resources to train staff members to recognize, accommodate and address neurocognitive impairment; (3) establish cross-sector partnerships to facilitate collaborative programming and cross training for the most complex clients being served; (4) when developing new programming, include structures and behavioural interventions that have been shown to benefit individuals with cognitive impairment.