Abstract of S. Mashiach lecture


IDENTIFYING NEEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CLIENT
POPULATION OF THE DUAL DIAGNOSIS UNIT (COGNITIVE
DISABILITIES AND MENTAL DISTURBANCES)

S. Mashiach, Y. Noiman
Beit Issie Shapiro, Israel

The Community Unit for Dual Diagnosis at Beit Issie Shapiro opened
two years ago, and provides services for children and adults with dual
diagnosis. Dual diagnosis, which is often referred to as "co-existing
disorders", refers to people with cognitive disabilities who also suffer
from psychiatric disorders or behavioral disturbances. Persons with
cognitive disabilities suffer from psychiatric disturbances more than
the normal population. Many studies show that people with dual
diagnosis require unique, multi-disciplinary care for the purpose of
diagnosis and establishing a treatment procedure suitable to their
unique needs. These clients require a more complex diagnostic
process, and there is often a need to involve family members and
other factors in the change process. The unit was established with the
objective of providing suitable, comprehensive solutions for this
population, and enabling them to continue to live within the community
while utilizing their unique potential and improving their quality of life.
The Dual Diagnosis Unit operates according to a systematic, multidisciplinary
outlook. The staff consists of various professionals
including a psychiatrist, social worker, psychologist, occupational
therapist, speech therapist, and family therapist. The presentation will
deal with personal and family characteristics of the clients treated in
the unit as expressed in the past two years of the unit's operation. We
will describe the various needs of the clients themselves, their
families, and the systems that treat them, and discuss the degree to
which the different systems respond and the various difficulties that
we encounter in applying the recommendations.


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