back

5 Things to Think About When Working With Integrated Dual Disorder Clients

Oct 19, 2017

1. A basic truth of behavioral health interventions is that no two clients are alike.
   It is important to remember this as we do our work and it is especially vital to keep in mind with the complication of two significant behavioral disorders. How a client’s chemical health and mental health issues interact, impact daily functioning, affect willingness and even abilities to participate in therapy, is a very individual thing.
2. Another basic truth is that for all clients, ‘perception is reality.’
   This is important in IDD treatment since mental health symptoms and chemical use (and the effects of long-term use) have real consequences for how a client might perceive their world.
3. A harsh truth of therapy is that change is difficult, time consuming, and at times, difficult to notice.
   For IDD clients, there can be a significantly higher degree of difficulty paired with a lower level of skills. This can make the process even harder, longer, and more difficult to experience a sense of success.
4. Acceptance and support are key additive factors to success in therapy.
   IDD clients tend to have heavily damaged, if not absent, systems of support and acceptance.
   There is a drive from payers to identify the primary diagnosis as the target for treatment.
5. IDD clients have two significant primary diagnoses in all cases, and the majority have significant issues across what used to be the five axis’ of diagnosis. We have to attend to all significant issues.
   ~Steven Girardeau, PsyD, LP, Director of Clinical Services at MHS