The Dual Diagnosis Outpatient Clinic is a medication and diagnostic consultation clinic with a goal of helping support predominantly medication management for adults whom have either an intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder as well as a significant concern related to behaviors that challenge (aggression, self-injurious behavior) or difficulties with anxiety, mood, or other DSM diagnostic foci.
Given the focus of the clinic is medication consultation model, this clinic is not able to provide focused treatment for mental health challenges that present the primary issues (e.g. borderline personality disorder, substance use disorder, or severe and persistent mental illness) where another care model would be more appropriate (Adult Intensive Services, inpatient program, etc.).
For those who have an intellectual disability and/or autism spectrum disorder, with appropriate documentation provided in-line with that required for the DSO (specifically, a psychological assessment demonstrating this), our clinic is able to provide medication consultation and brief follow up.
Generally, an individual can expect to be involved in the program up to 4 sessions (if required) so that the family physician can provide follow-up care.
Why is case management support through the appropriate DSO associated service required?
The Dual Diagnosis Outpatient Clinic does not have comprehensive assessment or support of a behavior therapist, psychologist, speech and language pathologist, or occupational therapist. For these services, we recommend liaising with the DSO within your region to determine where these services may be accessed. Case management through DSO-associated services in the community, help to provide developmental services in this area.
In order ensure we practice in a model that emphasizes focus first on environmental modifications that contribute to behaviors that challenge, we ask that each referral that we see have case management support through the appropriate DSO-associated service for the region in which the patient comes to us from.
This is to help ensure that non-pharmacologic treatments are accessed where these are preferred as well as when these may not yet be accessed, but may be recommended in our consultation.
What our clinic is not able to provide is indefinite follow up, as this would not allow for meeting community need in our region in this subspecialty focus area. We work closely with the primary care providers to help support comfort in further medication plans initiated with our clinical team and the patients, families, and care providers.
How to Access Services?
This service is by referral only.
If you are a health care provider, click here to download and complete the referral form [opens new tab] and click here to review the dual diagnosis clinic referral checklist [opens new tab].