Co-occuring disorders: quadrant classification model

Today GCASA is beginning a series of articles on Co-Occuring disorders. Co-morbidity or co-occuring disorders refers to people who have a substance abuse disorder and a psychiatric disorder. Sometimes these patients are referred to as MICA, Mentally Ill Chemical Abuser.

SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a Co-occuring Center For Excellence. SAMHSA has promoted a way of categorizing patients based on the severity of their substance abuse and psychiatric disorders called the Quadrant system. Level one is the least severe and level IV is the most severe.

Here is an image which explains the concept.

You can click on the image to enlarge it for easier reading.



GCASA has specialized services for people with co-occuring disorders. In GCASA-s Batavia Clinic our MICA specialist is Mary Beth Pace, L.C.S.W. whom you can reach at 585-815-1840, and in GCASA's Albion Clinic it is Dawn Bumbarger, CASAC whom you can reach at 585-589-0055. About 20% of the MICA patients that GCASA serves are at Level IV.

This is article #1 in a series on Co-occuring disorders.