Screening, assessment, and treatment planning constitute three interrelated components
of a process that, when properly executed, informs and guides the provision of appropriate, client-centered
services to persons with co-occurring disorders (COD). Clients with COD are best served through an integrated
screening, assessment, and treatment planning process that addresses both substance use and mental
disorders, each in the context of the other.
Screening and assessment instruments are one form of useful information gathering, as are laboratory tests.
However, these alone do not constitute screening or assessment. Screening and assessment must allow flexibility
within their formalized structures, balancing the need for consistency with the need to respond to important
differences among clients. Screening and assessment data provide information that is evaluated and processed
by the clinician and the client in the treatment planning process.
Screening, assessment, and treatment planning are not stand-alone activities. They are three components of a
process that may be conducted by different agencies. Effective information sharing and following of clients most
frequently occurs in systems where relevant agencies have a formal network, cross-training for staff, and formal
procedures for information sharing and referral (see the COCE Overview Paper titled “Services Integration for
Persons With Co-Occurring Disorders”).
