Dual diagnosed people have at least one mental disorder as well as an alcohol or drug use disorder. Mental health services and drug and alcohol recovery programs are often not able to deal with individuals with both afflictions. Sojourner House Counselor Sharon Jones explains that the greatest challenge is getting an accurate diagnosis. “When an addicted woman sees the reality of her life, she’s bound to get depressed. But our staff is trained to pick up on the signs of true mental illness.”

Counselor Romadore Abdullah adds that people may not be forthcoming about the symptoms of their mental illness so counselors have to search for signs. “I asked one resident, Jen, if she had symptoms indicative of mental illness. She told me ‘no ma’am.’ But I was sure there was a problem.” Denial is one reason that often only one of the two problems is identified. Drug and alcohol counselors have to be aware of the signs and be sensitively persistent in raising the possibility and helping the women to feel at ease about discussing her situation. One challenge is that people often refuse to be evaluated. At Sojourner House, the staff works to make women suffering from mental illness feel comfortable enough to accept the help they need.

It is important to first get the drugs out of the individual’s system so that her level of functioning can be evaluated. Then the mental illness must be treated or drug and alcohol treatment will be in vain. In many dual diagnosis cases, people are bounced back and forth between services for mental illness and those for substance abuse, or they are refused treatment by each of them. Sojourner House makes sure that doesn’t happen. It has alliances with organizations that treat mental illness and works with them to ensure that women receive the treatment they need from the appropriate team of doctors, ICM (Intensive Case Management) workers, counselors, nurses, etc. Jen was transferred to an inpatient mental illness facility.

“Sojourner House is unique because we stay with women ensuring they receive all the services they need. We make sure that drugs and alcohol are not an issue, make sure their mental illness is treated, and get them on the road to recovery,” Abdullah explains.