Assessing the Dual Diagnosis Capability of Addiction Treatment Services: The Dual Diagnosis Capability in Addiction Treatment (DDCAT) Index

McGovern, M.P., Matzkin, A.L., and Giard, J. (2007). Assessing the Dual Diagnosis Capability of Addiction Treatment Services: The Dual Diagnosis Capability in Addiction Treatment (DDCAT) Index. Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 3(2).,

Addiction treatment systems and services are increasingly challenged to provide effective treatments for persons with co-occurring substance use disorders and mental illness. This article describes the development and application of the Dual Diagnosis Capability in Addiction Treatment (DDCAT) Index, which is designed to assess the dual diagnosis capability of addiction treatments services, and is based upon the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) taxonomy: Addiction Only Services (AOS), Dual Diagnosis Capable (DDC) or Dual Diagnosis Enhanced (DDE).

The DDCAT has been found to have acceptable psychometric properties (internal consistency, inter-rater agreement, kappa) and is sensitive to change. Three case examples illustrate its use in assessing the dual diagnosis capacity of treatment services, and in measuring the targets and impact of change strategies.

The DDCAT has demonstrated practical value for addiction treatment systems and treatment service providers. Validity studies are in progress testing the relationship between the index and patient level outcomes.

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