For community agencies specializing in the treatment of either the mentally ill or persons with developmental disabilities, among the most difficult people to serve are those dually diagnosed as both mentally retarded and mentally ill. As many as 20 to 30 percent of persons with mental retardation not in an institution have such a dual diagnosis, according to most estimates.

When persons with a dual diagnosis engage in problematic behavior in the community, they often they end up inappropriately placed in such places as a jail or a psychiatric hospital. Often, they are also prescribed medications inappropriately.

The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, through the Commission on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (MHDD), has established a program that will provide assistance to families and organizations trying to provide treatment for persons with dual diagnosis.

Operating out of Parsons State Hospital and Training Center (PSH&TC), a community support team called Dual Diagnosis Treatment and Training Service (DDTTS), is now the primary referral point in Kansas for persons with a developmental disability and mental illness or other severe behavior problems whose needs are not being met by existing community resources. The program is designed to serve people whose diagnosis includes a psychiatric disorder such as schizophrenia or depression and a developmental disability such as mental retardation or autism.

DDTTS, composed of 27 staff, will provide both community outreach and inpatient services. A series of community meetings to introduce community providers to DDTTS will be held during August. A list of those meeting dates is attached.

DDTTS teams will go out to communities anywhere in Kansas where agencies have requested help serving an individual with dual diagnosis. They will conduct behavioral analysis of the problem and develop effective treatment strategies. The DDTTS staff will train local care givers such as families, Community Mental Health Centers, schools, or Community Developmental Disabilities Organizations, to sustain the treatment and work with other agencies to maintain the individual in his or her preferred community placement.

Staffing on the team includes six Ph.D. psychologists, a master's level psychologist, a Qualified Metal Retardation Professional, and a nurse.

Inpatient services will be available at PSH&TC for individuals who cannot be served in their home communities. All inpatient admissions will be short-termed and specific treatment goals will be established prior to admission. Once goals have been met, the transition back to the community will begin. A cottage at PSH&TC is currently being renovated for use by the DDTTS team.

In creating the DDTTS team, SRS is attempting to meet a tremendous need in Kansas communities, said Hugh Sage, commissioner of MHDD.

"Successful implementation of this program should enhance the lives of many individuals and create a service needed by families and by mental health and developmental disability agencies across the state," Sage said. "This treatment and training team supports the policy established by the Legislature under the Developmental Disabilities Reform Act to commit resources enabling as many people as possible to be served in the community."

Gary Daniels, superintendent at PSH&TC, said the DDTTS program was not set up as a crisis intervention team but rather as a longer-term training and treatment program. Although he said the program can be used as crisis intervention, it in no way is a substitute for any of the crisis services already in place at agencies across the state.

"Among the disabled population, persons with a dual diagnosis are more difficult to serve and usually resistant to treatment and services," Daniels said. "This can create a lot of problems not only for the individual, but for families and agencies. This program is being set up to help alleviate those problems both by providing initial treatment help and then by helping those close to the individual learn how to provide that treatment in the future."

Since March, 26 individuals have received outreach psychological services from DDTTS and one person was admitted to PSH&TC. A number of other cases have been scheduled for outreach services over the next several weeks. In addition, six people with dual diagnosis who were residing in state mental health hospitals have been transferred to PSH&TC.

The DDTTS outreach program is expected to provide behavior assistance to at least 80 persons per year in the community. Besides mental health and developmental disability organizations, DDTTS will provide consultation to schools, parents and any other agency or individual involved in providing support to persons with a dual diagnosis.

Page Last Updated: May 29, 2001