Chapter List Guidelines In a nutshellAbout these guidelinesPart A: About co-occurring conditionsA1: What are co-occurring conditions?A2: How common are co-occurring conditions and why are they of concern?A3: Guiding principlesFirst, do no harmWork within your capacityEngage in ongoing professional developmentRecognise that the management of co-occurring conditions is part of AOD workers’ core businessProvide equity of access to careAdopt a ‘no wrong door’ policyRecognise that co-occurring conditions are common and all clients should be routinely screenedConduct ongoing monitoring of symptoms and assessment of client outcomesFocus on engaging the client in treatmentAdopt a holistic approach that focuses on treating the person, not the illnessAdopt a client-centred approachAdopt a trauma-informed care approachEmphasise the collaborative nature of treatmentHave realistic expectationsExpress confidence in the effectiveness of the treatment programAdopt a non-judgemental attitudeAdopt a non-confrontational approach to treatmentInvolve families and carers in treatmentInvolve peers in treatmentConsult and collaborate with other health care providersEnsure continuity of careA4: Classification of disordersPart B: Responding to co-occurring conditionsPart C: Specific population groupsAppendicesAbbreviationsGlossaryReferencesDisclaimer and acknowledgements Download full Guidelines Order a free hard copy Adopt a trauma-informed care approach Download page As described in Chapter B2, the provision of trauma-informed care is essential given the high rates of trauma among clients of AOD services and the fundamental role that trauma symptoms may play in a person’s recovery [135, 136]. Exposure to traumatic life events is almost universal among clients of AOD services [83, 137, 138], and has been found to play a key role in both the development and maintenance of AOD use disorders [139, 140]. A trauma-informed care approach involves recognition of the high rates of trauma exposure and the provision of a safe environment that is healing and not retraumatising [141]. Further discussion of the elements of trauma-informed care is provided in Chapter B2. Download section Previous Next