Implementing Integrated Services for Adults With Co-occurring Substance Use Disorders and Psychiatric Illnesses: A Research Review

Abstract

Objective: Over the last 10 years, researchers have been studying integrated mental health and substance abuse service implementations, contributing to the science of implementation. This article reviews the published research on organization-level implementation factors and summarizes the findings. Methods: To identify papers for review, the authors limited the search to all English-language, published, quantitative and/or qualitative research studies that address organization-level factors in integrated service implementation. They employed PubMed to search for papers. The reference lists in the reviewed articles and reviewer comments contributed additional articles that met the criteria. Results: The quantitative and qualitative investigations consistently note that integrated service implementation takes significant time and effort. Successful implementation requires active on-site leadership, management of staff turnover, and technical, financial, and political support from the larger administrative environment. Conclusions: The research can help future implementers anticipate and overcome common integrated services implementation challenges.

Keywords:

• co-occurring disorders
• evidence-based practice
• implementation
• integrated treatment
• leadership

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank Mary Brunette, MD, and Mark McGovern, PhD, for their help in framing the review.