THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION PROGRAM FOR MENTALLY-ILLCHEMICALLY ABUSING (MICA) PATIENTS

The article begins with a review of the high prevalence of concurrent mental illness and chemical abuse (MICA) disorders among clinical popu lations, highlighting the need for development of appropriate services to treat these persons. This is followed by a description of a partia l hospitalization program developed at the University of Rochester Med ical Center-Strong Memorial Hospital, established to treat MICA patien ts. The program description includes information pertaining to the mis sion of the program, treatment setting, staffing, schedule, and diagno stic and sociodemographic data on 50 consecutive patients admitted to the program. It includes a review of the major goals of the program an d the manner in which each of these goals is addressed. This is follow ed by a discussion of several arguments for the inclusion of patients with personality disorders in MICA treatment when there is concurrent substance abuse. It concludes with a case vignette of a patient treate d in the MICA program.