Absence of Essential Integrated Services within Traditional Substance Abuse Treatment

Absence of Essential Integrated Services within Traditional Substance Abuse Treatment

Is the need for integrated services within traditional substance abuse treatment being ignored? Traditional substance abuse treatment lacks an integrated component in which a client would receive mental health counseling and vocational counseling in addition to substance abuse counseling. According to the Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) 38, developed by CSAT a part of the Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), research has shown that predictors of substance abuse treatment completion include successful employment, family support, and lack of coexisting mental illness. Biegel, Beimers, Stevenson, and Boyle (2009) purport that people with co-occurring disorders experience higher rates of unemployment.