Webinar: “Understanding and Addressing Co-Occurring conditions (COMHAD)”

 

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” 

Albert Einstein
 

ILLY Webinar  Invitation (Free-to-attend):

Title :    “Understanding and Addressing Co-occurring conditions – mental health dual diagnosis and a substance misuse disorder”

Date:     Tuesday 17th June at 11am – 12pm.  (Free-to-attend via MS Teams)

If you have any questions or would like to find out more, please get in touch with our Client Services Team and we’ll be happy to help:

Phone  +44 (0)20 4566 5727   email   clientservices@illycorp.com

Over the past year, our communities have faced growing challenges, from the rise of potent synthetic drugs to deepening health inequalities.

    • Mental health issues affect 70% of drug users and 86% of alcohol users in community treatment. 
    • Alarmingly, 54% of people who die by suicide and have a history of mental health problems also had a history of alcohol and/or drug use.
    • People experiencing co-occurring mental health, alcohol and drug issues  (often referred to as COMHAD or dual-diagnosis) are at significantly greater risk of poor health and premature death. These conditions often interact and reinforce each other, complicating diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

Effective support requires a truly integrated and holistic approach – one that addresses not just mental health and substance use, but also related challenges such as homelessness, neurodiversity and Alcohol Related Brain Damage (ARBD).

There is an urgent need to raise awareness, strengthen collaboration and equip services with the knowledge, tools and confidence to respond effectively.

We are pleased to invite you to this free-to-attend Webinar on:

“Understanding and Addressing Co-Occurring Conditions”

      • The challenges of identifying and treating ARBD
      • Supporting rough sleepers with COMHAD
      • The importance of collaboration in responding to COMHAD

Who should attend?
Each year we host free to attend webinars to support our communities. Last year we had over 100 people attend from a cross section of our professional communities within the NHS and Voluntary sector. It included Commissioners, Practitioners, Technologists and those working with vulnerable people. It’s only through team work and knowledge sharing will we be able to make a real difference within our communities.

Guest Speakers

 

University of South Wales

Professor Bev John and Professor Roderique-Davies have led and contributed to a substantial body of research on alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD), focusing on its prevalence, screening, diagnosis, treatment and the development of clinical pathways.
They were co-authors of the Welsh Government’s Treatment Framework for ARBD, have developed training packages for front-line staff and continue to work with government, NHS and third sector partners to raise awareness of ARBD.

Professor Bev John

Professor Bev John has worked extensively in the field of psychological health across research, teaching and direct service delivery. Her work centres on the development and evaluation of health-related interventions, including the delivery of psychological therapies. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and professional media.

Her main research focus is on applied psychological health – particularly the promotion of positive behaviour change in mental and physical health, as well as substance misuse. 

Prof. Bev serves as an expert member of the Welsh Government’s Substance Misuse Treatment Framework for Alcohol-Related Brain Damage (ARBD) Project Board and has made significant contributions to public policy and debate around alcohol and gambling harms.

Professor Gareth Roderique-Davies

Professor Gareth Roderique-Davies is a HCPC-registered Psychologist, Chartered Psychologist, and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. 

He is Professor of Psychology at the University of South Wales, with expertise in substance misuse, behavioural addiction, craving and the long-term impact of recreational drug use.

Ms Unity Hewson BSc, MSc,

Integrated Practice Lead in Dual Diagnosis at Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT).

With experience in the fields of mental health and substance use, Unity, in her current role leads work as part of a collaborative effort focused on improving how services work together to better support individuals facing complex co-occurring conditions in Southend-On-Sea, Essex.

Southend is a community deeply affected by the intersecting challenges of homelessness and dual diagnosis. The area faces significant demand for coordinated mental health and addiction services, particularly among those experiencing housing instability.

Unity’s work focuses on enhancing collaboration across sectors to improve outcomes for this vulnerable population. Passionate about systemic change and frontline impact, she is committed to sharing practical insights and evidence-based strategies to empower professionals working in similarly complex environments.

Mr. Ben Metcalfe


Mr. Ben Metcalfe is an Occupational Therapist and Dual Diagnosis Lead for Manchester, part of the Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH), a large provider with over 109 service locations, including custodial and health justice services.

Mr. Metcalfe leads the Trust’s work on co-occurring mental health, alcohol, and drug issues (COMHAD). His role involves providing strategic advice, training, consultation and support to staff working with individuals experiencing complex needs.

He is passionate about helping services better accommodate people with overlapping support needs, advocating that “people aren’t complex when we work and learn together – complexity often arises from service misalignment.”

Mr. Metcalfe is also a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and is a certified Motivational Interviewing Trainer.