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“People who struggle with alcohol and drug misuse often have underlying trauma and suffering that makes it difficult to cope with their thoughts and emotions. This can be connected to a range of experiences from bullying and abuse to poverty, discrimination and loneliness and lead to mental health problems.”
Dr Emily Finch, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Addictions Faculty, May 2025
“People experiencing both mental health and substance use disorders are some of the most vulnerable in society and have the poorest outcomes and greatest treatment need. They also constitute a significant proportion of people receiving substance use and mental health treatment making their needs a high priority.”
Professor Owen Bowden-Jones, Consultant Psychiatrist at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust and Leading Addiction Specialist, May 2025
“Mental health services are currently poorly equipped to provide even basic assessment and care for people experiencing substance use disorders, including the assessment and management of withdrawal syndromes in those with dependent use. This is particularly concerning in inpatient mental health units where substance-dependent patients may be put at life-threatening risk if their withdrawal symptoms are inadequately managed.”
Co-occurring Substance Misuse and Mental Health Disorders Report, Royal College of Psychiatrists, May 2025
“Bold change is needed to overcome the inequalities faced by people with mental health and substance use problems.”
Centre for Mental Health, May 2025
This conference focuses on improving the management and outcomes of people with co-occurring mental health and substance misuse conditions. The day will cover learning from lived experiences and organisations that have improved services, challenging stigmtisation, early intervention and prevention, adherence to the NICE Quality Standard for Co-occuring Severe Mental Health and Substance Misuse and implementing the update to the Quality Standard for Alcohol-use Disorders, effective assessment, assertive outreach and there will be specific case studies on making dual diagnosis services accessible and supporting people who are homeless.
The conference will also focus on implementing the recent Co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists which was published in May 2025:
“Health systems currently lack sophisticated mechanisms to identify and characterise the type and severity of co-occurring substance misuse and mental health disorders in services, meaning that individuals belonging to this group are under-identified and there is little strategic planning in place to meet their needs.”
Co-occurring Substance Misuse and Mental Health Disorders Report, Royal College of Psychiatrists, May 2025
This conference will enable you to:
Network with colleagues who are working to improve services, practice and treatment for people who are experiencing co-occurring mental health substance misuse conditions
Reflect on the lived experience of people experiencing coexisting severe mental illness and substance misuse
Learn from the latest developments and findings from reports into co-occurring mental health and substance misuse treatments
Update your knowledge on the latest guidance
Understand how you can engage and support people to improve outcomes and avert crisis, and reduce the risk of exclusion or drop out from services
Identify key strategies for ensuring early intervention
Adhere to NICE Quality Standard for Co-occuring Severe Mental Health and Substance Misuse
Improve inpatient provision in assessment and management of people presenting with coexisting mental health illness and substance misuse
Understand how access to services can be improved while bridging the gap between mental health and recovery programmes
Engage people to reduce missed appointments and ensure effective follow up if this does occur
Improve your skills and competence as a champion for substance misuse and mental health
Learn from current best practice case studies focusing on homeless people, and older people
Understand how to effectively develop and support peer support networks
Self assess and reflect on your own practice
Supports CPD professional development and acts as revalidation evidence. This course provides 5 Hrs training for CPD subject to peer group approval for revalidation purposes
