ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to highlight a range of strategies and practices that are currently working to enhance access to treatment for individuals with diverse mental health–substance use needs. In mental health–substance use, access is complicated by additional difficulties — barriers that are duplicated and magnified leading to a ‘double jeopardy’ where individuals are not viewed as suitable candidates in either substance use or in mental health treatment programmes and access to treatment is denied. Developing access pathways, marketing services and making them attractive to use is a complex task that is the precursor to engaging in treatment. Health services are currently focused on delivering treatment within significant financial constraints. The strategic direction any organisation takes to increase accessibility needs to account for a range of options offered at different levels of intensity and sophistication, with consideration given to working as independent specialist services or in cooperative partnerships.
