For Immediate Release
May 5, 2006

Contact: Howard Sutter
(714) 834-2178

Joint Meeting Addresses Issues of Substance Abuse and Mental Disorders

(Santa Ana) – The Orange County’s Mental Health Board and the Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board will hold a joint Public Forum on Wednesday, May 10th to address the co-occurring problems of substance abuse and mental disorders. Clients, family members, mental health and alcohol and drug professionals, and interested members of the public are encouraged to attend the meeting, which will be held from 1:30-4:30 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room at the Orange County Hall of Administration, 10 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana.

While it is difficult to estimate the prevalence of individuals with both substance abuse and mental disorders, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recognized individuals with co-occurring disorders as a “large and significantly underserved population.” Many individuals with co-occurring disorders are homeless or in the criminal justice system and have difficulty accessing integrated treatment services.

At the Public Forum, members of the Mental Health Board and Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board will receive public comment on what is needed in Orange County to improve the quality of care for those with co-occurring disorders, how to develop effective service partnerships and on efforts to coordinate and integrate care. An integrated treatment approach for people with co-occurring disorders includes a comprehensive array of consumer-focused and consumer-family centered services that can be accessed with a “no wrong door” approach, meaning that services can be accessed no matter where an individual enters the system.

For more information on the Public Forum, contact Judy Griset at (714) 834-5481.

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