Innovation in care for Mental Health & Addictions
Photo caption: Bradley Labuguen, RN, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and Jennifer Olarte-Godoy, RN, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.
Individuals with co-occurring mental health and addiction issues - a condition referred to as “Concurrent Disorder”, are among the most vulnerable and under-served group across the health care system. They have a more persistent illness course and higher rates of poorer treatment outcomes, including readmissions, in comparison to those with only a single disorder.Their care is too often fragmented, requiring them to navigate through multiple service settings to access treatment for each condition separately, and the services they need are sometimes disconnected.
It is estimated that between 20 – 80% of patients admitted to hospital for mental health reasons meet criteria for Concurrent Disorder. The evidence clearly indicates that these patients have the best opportunity for success when their treatment is integrated, and coordinated mental health and substance abuse interventions are offered simultaneously and in the same setting.
The opening of the new West 5th Campus at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) provided an opportunity to better meet the needs of this population, and thus the Concurrent Disorder program was developed. This program, led by Holly Raymond (Clinical Manager) and Jodi Younger (Clinical Director), includes an inpatient unit, outpatient program, and a Capacity Building Team.
The Capacity Building Team aims to address the knowledge to practice gap and ensure that all patients with concurrent disorder receive integrated, holistic, and evidence-informed care. Two Registered Nurses, Bradley Labuguen and Jennifer Olarte-Godoy, have been instrumental to this team’s success. They have worked closely with their interprofessional colleagues to advance the level of care for individuals with concurrent disorder. This has included mentoring referring practitioners by conducting side-by-side assessments and identifying and implementing evidence-based interventions. In addition, they have facilitated educational events and provided consultations to support integrated treatment approaches, and have developed an evaluation tool that could be used to monitor clinical progress in multiple practice settings. Their work to develop and implement this coordinated and systematic approach to care is a remarkable example of innovative clinical nursing leadership that is transforming care and improving outcomes for patients.
What were once two solitudes, mental health and addiction care, are now being replaced by an integrated and evidence-based approach to care and treatment. SJHH nurse leaders such as Bradley and Jennifer are proud to be part of this transformation.