Consult and collaborate with other health care providers

AOD clients present with diverse issues that cannot possibly be addressed by one health professional or service alone. A broad, multifaceted, and multidisciplinary approach is needed in order to address all of these issues effectively [107, 150]. It is important that AOD services and AOD workers develop links with a range of local support services to provide specialised, coordinated and continuous care for clients. Such services include mental and community health practitioners, housing, employment, and welfare services [105]. General practitioners (GPs) in particular play an important role in delivering care to people with co-occurring conditions, as they are often their first and most consistent point of contact [151]. Ideally, case management and treatment should be shared by health care providers/services, and there should be good communication and sharing of information between these professionals.