Co – Occurring Illnesses (substance abuse disorder and mental health)

Directions:
Co-Occurring Illnesses: The goal of this assignment is to increase awareness and symptomology in one Co-Occurring Illness Pair.

In a 4 page paper, complete the following:
• APA format – Reference page included

o Substance Use and Mental Health

• Describe, using references: this is the bulk of your paper. I am anticipating that you are going to spend the most time on this section. It may be 1-2 pages total.
o why the pair you chose is often diagnosed together (think back to the biopsychosocial model. Utilizing references and your powerpoints/videos, explore why your pair is often diagnosed with mental health symptoms or mental health diagnoses).
 The use of specific examples is encouraged to further support why the pair is diagnosed together (ie diabetes and Schizophrenia; childhood trauma and heart disease; alcohol addiction and depression – this can help support your description. You don’t need it, but it demonstrates that you have done research and have an understanding of real life examples that are seen in practice).
o Common symptoms for the co-occurring illnesses and how they can impact one another (in other words, what is important to remember for each one in the pair? Identify the common symptoms or presentations in each and how those symptoms affect each other. As a MHP, you will need to be mindful of how symptoms can impact one another when working with clients. For example, you can be working with a client who has a high ACE score and is experiencing medical symptoms; it will be up to you to recommend a visit to their primary medical doctor.)
o General correlations (ie age, populations, anything similar that you think is important to remember in your practice)

This section is short and sweet. I’m looking for the connection with the collaborating care powerpoint/lecture and the recovery model lecture.
For the collaboration of care part, literally just identify who you should be collaborating care with and why it is important to collaborate with that person based on the pair. Im looking for the connect of the pair not just a general statement. If you are factual, clear and concise – not vague – this can be achieved in 3-4 sentences.
For the recovery model, I don’t need an entire re-description of what it is, just give me an idea of how you would apply it for your specific pair based on what you already know about the model and from the description above. If you are factual, clear and concise – not vague – this can be achieved in 2-3 sentences.
• Identify how you can utilize each of the following MHP tasks in addressing this co-occurring pair. Be specific in each task and link directly to the co-occurring pair:
o Collaboration of Care
o The Recovery Model
o This is the application piece – so think, if you were in practice and had a client with a co-occurring disorder pair, how would you collaborate care and with who and lastly, how would you consider and use the Recovery Model? (use your power points to guide you)

• Identify one intervention/method or therapeutic activity that you can use in session with an individual who is presenting with the pair you have identified. (Use your power points / videos! They have identified many methods for each pair. Think, if you had this person in session with you, what intervention/ method/therapeutic activity can you use/do with them to work toward recovery specific for your pair?) This is not supposed to be difficult as they answers are already right in front of you in your material!
o If you are factful, clear and concise in your supporting detail – not vague – this can be achieved in 4-5 sentences: Identify the method, describe what it is, describe how you would use it to meet the needs of the pair. That easy!

 Must have at least 3 credible references, not including the required textbook.