Brendan Munden says program inspired real-life changes.

After years of working on the front lines in Vancouver with the homeless, mentally ill and addicted, Brendan Munden knew something wasn't working.

That's when he came across the Co-occuring Disorders Program at Douglas College.

"It was the only course I found that seemed to offer a different way of doing things," says Munden, who at the time was looking for something to augment his social work degree.

People with mental illness are twice as likely to have problems with addiction - a condition known as co-occurring disorders. The Douglas program, the first of its kind in BC, provides specialized training for social workers and health care professionals already working in the field.

And it works, according to Munden.

"It really helped to develop a clear vision of better care," he says.

"Before, I had come up against a wall, doing things the same way, and it wasn't working. Since the program, I've seen the techniques working. I've seen movement in people who were fairly deeply entrenched in these issues."

Program coordinator John Fox says the creation of the program was an "academic and practical response to an increasingly significant and unmet need in the community."

"If somebody is concurrently disordered, what we do know is that if they can't get help, these conditions will not improve. In fact, they will get worse," says Fox.

One of the best parts about the program was being able to learn and exchange ideas with others working in the field, says Munden.

"There was kind of a learning feedback loop," he says of the classroom atmosphere.

"I was able to learn from my colleagues. And now I've still got all those people to talk to and connect with as I work," says Munden, who is now a Family Preservation Counselor with the Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society.

Munden strongly recommends the program for anyone who works closely with those dealing with addictions and mental illness.

"I am using the program every day. For any front-line worker, it should almost be pre-requisite."

The Co-occuring Disorders Program has an intake of 30 students every January. To find out more about the Co-occuring Disorders Program at Douglas College, visit the course calendar at douglascollege.ca, or email coordinator Bob Shebib at shebibb@douglascollege.ca.

There are free information sessions for the Faculty of Child, Family and Community Studies coming soon. For a complete list of information sessions, please see the Douglas website.

Links:

Co-occurring Disorders
Community Social Service Worker
Information sessions
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