What co-occurring disorders are
Co-occurring disorders, also called dual diagnosis, means having a mental health condition and a substance use disorder at the same time. The two interact: a mental health condition can drive substance use, and substance use can deepen a mental health condition, which is why treating one in isolation often leads to relapse. It is common not to know which came first, and you do not need to. We assess how your symptoms and substance use affect each other and build one plan around both.
Who dual diagnosis treatment is for
This treatment is for adults living with both a mental health condition and substance use at the same time. You may have noticed that drinking or using gets worse when depression or anxiety flares, or that your mental health slips during a relapse. We treat people whose two conditions are tangled together, including those stepping down from a higher level of care and those starting treatment for the first time. If you are unsure whether what you are facing counts as co-occurring, an assessment sorts it out.
How integrated treatment works at Élevé
Integrated treatment means one clinical team addresses your mental health and substance use together, in a single plan, rather than sending you to separate places for each. Care begins with a diagnostic assessment that identifies every condition present. From there, your team builds a plan where therapy addresses how your mental health symptoms and substance use affect one another, and you learn coping skills that apply to both, managing emotions and reducing cravings at the same time. When it is clinically appropriate, psychiatric evaluation and medication management are part of the plan.
Conditions we treat alongside addiction
We treat substance use alongside the following mental health conditions:
- Depression and mood disorders
- Anxiety and panic disorders
- Trauma and PTSD
- Bipolar disorder
These are treated together with alcohol, opioid, and other substance use disorders in one plan. If your situation involves a condition not listed here, call (833) 902-7098 to talk it through.
Therapies used in co-occurring treatment
Co-occurring treatment at Élevé uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and EMDR, chosen to address both conditions at once and delivered by clinicians experienced in dual diagnosis.
CBT helps you see how thoughts connect to both mood and substance use, and practice responses that hold up in both. DBT builds emotional-regulation and distress-tolerance skills that reduce both intense emotional episodes and the cravings that ride alongside them. EMDR addresses underlying trauma that often sits beneath a co-occurring condition, delivered by clinicians trained in the protocol. When clinically appropriate, psychiatric care and medication management are integrated so your mental health treatment and recovery are not working against each other.
Integrated treatment vs. treating conditions separately
Why treating both together matters
Dimension | Integrated treatment | Treating conditions separately |
Approach | One team, one plan for both conditions | Different providers for mental health and addiction |
Coordination | Symptoms and substance use addressed as connected | Each treated in isolation |
Relapse risk | Lower; the cycle between the two is targeted | Higher; an untreated condition can pull the other back |
Your experience | One assessment, one team, one schedule | Repeating your history to multiple providers |
Treating a mental health condition and substance use separately often means one undoes the progress of the other. Integrated treatment targets the cycle between them, which is why it is the standard of care for co-occurring disorders.
Which levels of care include co-occurring treatment
Co-occurring treatment is built into every level of our outpatient continuum, so your dual diagnosis care follows you as your needs change. It is delivered in our Partial Care Program, Intensive Outpatient Program, and Outpatient Program, with the intensity matched to where you are. Because all three run in the same building with the same team, stepping up or down does not interrupt your integrated plan.
Insurance and cost
Most commercial insurance covers treatment for co-occurring disorders, with your out-of-pocket cost set by your plan’s deductible and copay. We verify your benefits on any plan in 15 minutes, free and confidential, so you know your coverage before you start. If you are paying out of pocket or your plan is out of network, we walk you through your options before you commit to anything.
Verify your insurance to find out what your plan covers.
Co-occurring disorders treatment in Hillsborough, NJ
Élevé Wellness is at 105 Raider Blvd, Suite 100 in Hillsborough Township, serving adults in the Hillsborough community in person and across New Jersey by telehealth. Mental health need in the state is real: the New Jersey Department of Health estimated adult mental distress at 14.7% in 2023, and roughly 27.7% of New Jersey adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in early 2023, conditions that frequently occur alongside substance use. You can start with one phone call, and assessments are scheduled as soon as possible.
Frequently asked questions
What does “co-occurring disorders” mean?
It means having a mental health condition and a substance use disorder at the same time, sometimes called dual diagnosis. The two conditions often interact, which is why they are treated together.
Do both conditions get treated at once?
Yes. Élevé integrates care so your mental health and substance use are addressed together in one coordinated plan, by one team.
Is medication part of co-occurring treatment?
It can be, if clinically appropriate. Psychiatric evaluation and medication management may be included in your care.
What levels of care include co-occurring treatment?
Co-occurring treatment is available across our outpatient levels, including Outpatient, IOP, and Partial Care, depending on your needs.
What if I am not sure which came first, mental health or substance use?
That is common, and you do not need to know. We assess how the two have affected each other over time and build a plan that supports both stability and recovery regardless of what started first.
Can I get co-occurring treatment by telehealth?
Yes. We offer secure video and in-person sessions with the same clinical team, and the two can be combined in one plan.
Not sure if dual diagnosis treatment is right for you?
Sorting out whether two conditions are connected is hard to do alone, and you do not have to. A short conversation with our team is enough to understand what you are facing and which level of care fits.
Start your assessment
Treating both conditions starts with one conversation. Call Élevé Wellness at (833) 902-7098 or verify your insurance online, and we will help you book a co-occurring disorders assessment in Hillsborough.
Medically reviewed by Amanda Keefe, LPC, LCADC
Amanda Keefe is the Deputy Director of Clinical & Quality at Élevé Wellness, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC) with training in trauma-informed care and EMDR. She oversees clinical quality across Élevé’s outpatient programs in Hillsborough, NJ.
Not sure if dual diagnosis treatment is right for you?
Sorting out whether two conditions are connected is hard to do alone, and you do not have to. A short conversation with our team is enough to understand what you are facing and which level of care fits.
Start your assessment
Treating both conditions starts with one conversation. Call Élevé Wellness at (833) 902-7098 or verify your insurance online, and we will help you book a co-occurring disorders assessment in Hillsborough.
Medically reviewed by Amanda Keefe, LPC, LCADC
Amanda Keefe is the Deputy Director of Clinical & Quality at Élevé Wellness, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC) with training in trauma-informed care and EMDR. She oversees clinical quality across Élevé’s outpatient programs in Hillsborough, NJ.
