Integrated (Mental Helath and Alcohol and Other Drug) clinician level dual diagnosis capability self assessment tool.

This 2018 clincian-level tool is a part of a suite of tools that MH or AOD workers or agencies can use to:

1. Reflect on and self-assess their existing level of dual diagnosis capability
2. Identify training needs in relation to dual diagnosis capability
3. Develop a time-lined plan of actions to further develop their levels of dual diagnosis capability

Integrated AOD-MH Clinician Dual Diagnosis Capability Checklist

What are the Checklists? 

A suite of tools that mental health or alcohol and other drug (AOD) workers OR agencies may use to:

1. Reflect on and self-assess their existing level of dual diagnosis capability
2. Identify training needs in relation to dual diagnosis capability
3. Develop a time-lined plan of actions to further develop their levels of dual diagnosis capability

The suite includes versions suitable for:

• Agency self-audit
  • Dual diagnosis capability checklist: AGENCY  - suitable for all AOD, clinical and non-clinical mental health agencies

• Clinician self-audit
  • Dual diagnosis capability checklist: ALCOHOL & OTHER DRUG WORKER 
  • Dual diagnosis capability checklist: CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH WORKER 
  • Dual diagnosis capability checklist: NON-CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH WORKER 

Benefits and intended outcomes:

• Documented, fine-grained indication of the agency’s or clinicians current level of dual diagnosis capability
• Training needs analysis
• Increased understanding of what being dual diagnosis capable involves
• Recognition and ‘celebration’ of existing achievements in developing capability
• Increased self–efficacy about further developing dual diagnosis capability
• Development of a time-lined plan of next-step, strategies to further develop dual diagnosis capability

Recommended methodology - Agency level checklist:

This tool was designed to employ a self-audit methodology. In contrast to external, approaches to capability assessment self-audit methodologies offer benefits in regard to:

• whole-team learnings about the rationale for and the nature of dual diagnosis capability
• development of the team’s motivation to further develop the agency’s level of dual diagnosis capability

Hence it is important that as many members of the team as possible are involved in completing the agency checklist.

If the team prefers an outside facilitator, such as a dual diagnosis change agent, can help facilitate the self-assessment.

Recommended methodology - Clinician level checklists:

May be used for a variety of purposes including:

• increasing clinicians’ understanding of, orientation to and self-efficacy about the development of dual diagnosis capability
• evidence for staff appraisal processes or applications or in applying for positions in which dual diagnosis capability is a prerequisite
• as pre and post tools to assess the efficacy of an intervention designed to build dual diagnosis capability
• completion of the checklist at intervals allows clinicians to monitor and record their progress in developing dual diagnosis capability

Time to complete:

• Agency level checklists: approx. 60 to 90 minutes. May be broken into stages if this is the only practicable way of finding the time
• Clinician / worker level checklists: 10 to 20 minutes.

Costs:

• Free
• All tools may be downloaded from the Dual Diagnosis Australia and New Zealand web site from the links above

History:

• Initially developed by VDDI-Eastern Hume worker, Gary Croton, and employed in all Hume Region AOD and mental health agencies
• The tools were made freely available on the Dual Diagnosis Australia and New Zealand site in mid-2009 and have been widely used since
• The tools were recommended in New Zealand’s 2010 national co-existing guidelines: Service Delivery for People with Co-existing Mental Health and Addiction Problems - Integrated Solutions  
  
• In 2011 TePou in New Zealand published a Coexisting Problems Service Checklist    based on the Agency Checklist
• In 2013 the North East Mental Health Alliance published a report, the Dual Diagnosis Capability Project 2013 describing the Alliance’s use of the tools to survey the collective level of competency across twelve program areas in nine partner organisations