Screening for Co-occurring Disorders and the Promotion of Collaborative Care

Using the BC/Yukon Collaborative Care Project as an example, this paper demonstrates the effectiveness of screening for co-occurring disorders within a collaborative context. One of the goals of the project was to standardize approaches for screening and assessment to improve consistency and avoid duplication of patient information. The discussion of screening gradually exposed issues that required attention, including the role of administrative support, the need to reform interprofessional communications, and communications with patients. Although the rates of screening and case-finding increased through this initiative, there were also a number of attitudinal changes from participating clinicians. Overall, the joint selection and implementation of screening practices was an enabling process. It provided an opportunity for collaboration outside of the clinical context, involving practitioners and administrators together.