Sam Mogilensky, LMHC, Encompass Coordinator
Addressing Substance Use and Co-Occurring Mental Health Concerns
There are 19.4 million American adults and children who have co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (SUDs). Unfortunately, not everyone with co-occurring conditions gets the treatment they need. Some people get treatment for neither disorder and others for only one of the conditions. When someone has an SUD and another mental health disorder, it is usually more effective to treat them at the same time rather than separately. Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) provides a comprehensive treatment approach to address both disorders. The following are some of the programs WJCS offers Westchester residents suffering from co-occurring disorders:
WJCS’s Substance Use Disorders Intensive Outpatient Program (SUD IOP) is a 6-week program designed to bring substance-involved individuals, including those with co-occurring disorders, from active substance use to early recovery, ready to capitalize on WJCS’s wide array of treatment and supports to fully realize their recovery goals.
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is the use of medications, tailored to the individual, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a “whole-patient” approach to the treatment of substance use disorders. MAT can help sustain recovery. It is also used to prevent or reduce opioid overdose.
Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) is a treatment program for the loved ones of people experiencing substance use issues. It teaches parents, spouses, partners, and close friends of people with substance use issues how to change their interactions with their substance-using loved one so that they make positive changes in their use and seek and remain engaged with treatment. It also focuses on how loved ones can take care of themselves as they support their loved one in treatment.
Encompass is an approximately 17-week treatment for individuals 12 to 30 with co-occurring disorders. It utilizes evidence-based best practices for treating co-occurring disorders, including motivational interviewing, contingency management, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and medication-assisted treatment. It is a program offered in select community and school-based settings, with clinical consultation provided by Encompass developer Dr. Paula Riggs and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine. This is made possible thanks to the award of a Promising Practices grant by WMCHealth to Family Services of Westchester in collaboration with the Harris project. Additional support is provided by the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health.
To enroll in WJCS’s Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment Program, or to inquire about insurance coverage, please contact WJCS’s Central Intake Line at 914-607-4500.
For more information about WJCS’s Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment Program, please contact Sam Mogilensky, LMHC, Encompass Coordinator, at 914-949-6761 x2447; smogilensky@wjcs.com or William A. Mullane, Ph.D., Director of Innovation, Integration, and Community Partnerships, at (914) 761-0600 x3211; wmullane@wjcs.com