For people with co-occurring mental health disorders and substance use disorders, finding integrated care that treats both conditions can be a difficult task. Vanderbilt Behavioral Health is seeking to simplify care for these patients through the co-occurring disorders intensive outpatient program (IOP).
“There are lots of programs for behavioral health treatment, and lots of programs for substance use treatment, but they tend to be mutually exclusive,” said Jessica Lavender, LPC-MHSP, director of IOP services for Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital. “Co-occurring disorders are extremely common, and we have a need for treating both simultaneously.”