The
Substance Use in Mental Illness Treatment Team (SUMITT) is an
outreach-based program that delivers services to five
metropolitan Area Mental Health Services in Melbourne, two
metropolitan drug and alcohol services, the Early Psychosis
Prevention and Intervention Centre, and four rural Area Mental
Health and Drug and Alcohol Services.
One aim of SUMITT is to provide closer integration of
mental health services and drug and alcohol services. These
services have evolved separately over the last few decades.
The separation of the services sometimes complicates the
diagnosis of comorbid mental illness and substance abuse and
may make it difficult to deliver integrated treatment of both
disorders.
The involvement of other services, such as primary care, in
the treatment of mental illness and substance abuse adds to
the complexity of treating clients with difficult comorbid
problems.
Contact: Chris
Tanti, Manager
