Revolving Doors Agency, in partnership with Clinks, has published a capability framework to better equip services to meet the needs of people with co-occurring mental health and alcohol/drug use conditions. The capability framework supports the implementation of Public Health England’s Better Care guide on the ground. It describes the values, knowledge, and skills required for effective care of people with co-occurring conditions.

It is very common for people to experience problems with their mental health and alcohol/drug use at the same time. Research shows that mental health problems are experienced by the majority of drug (70%) and alcohol (86%) users in community substance misuse treatment. People with co-occurring conditions are at a heightened risk of developing serious and chronic health conditions, as well as at a heightened risk of experiencing social disadvantages, including homelessness and criminal justice contact. Yet, we know that many people with co-occurring conditions are often excluded from support and care provision.