Many mental health patients also have substance misuse problems, so mental health service staff need to be skilled to provide simple prevention and treatment interventions, assisted by drug and alcohol specialists.

This guidance covers the assessment and clinical management of patients with mental illness being cared for in psychiatric inpatient or day care settings who also use or misuse alcohol and/or illicit or other drugs*. It also covers organisational and management issues to help mental health services manage these patients effectively.

The key message is that the assessment and management of drug and alcohol use are core competences required by clinical staff in mental health services.

The guidance aims to:
• encourage integration of drug and alcohol expertise and related training into mental health service provision;
• provide ideas and guidance to front-line staff and manages to help them provide the most effective therapeutic environments;
• help mental health services plan action on dual diagnosis†.