Dual diagnosis

Mental health policy implementation guide: Dual diagnosis good practice guide (DoH, 2002)

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Dual diagnosis in mental health inpatient and day hospital settings  (DoH, 2006)

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Care Programme Approach (CPA)

New guidance on the CPA has been produced by the Department of Health. Refocusing the Care Programme Approach is available at Visit Website

The guidance has a greater emphasis on dual diagnosis than has previously been the case, identifying people with a dual diagnosis as a ‘key group’ for whom services are sometimes failing to provide appropriate care.  A table identifies a range of characteristics that should be taken into account in deciding whether someone needs (new) CPA.  This includes the presence of a dual diagnosis as well as a range of other factors which are often common in this group eg risk of suicide, requiring service provision from several different agencies, unsettled accommodation.