Workforce Challenges with Dual Diagnosis: A Comprehensive Report

This report addresses the significant workforce challenges associated with dual diagnosis, specifically focusing on the Australian context. It highlights the difficulties in providing adequate services for individuals with mental health problems and substance abuse disorders, citing statistics on the prevalence of these issues. The report delves into the implementation of policies, such as those related to steroid use and anti-doping, and identifies challenges like poor information, complex service delivery, and insufficient funding. It examines the impact of these challenges on communities and proposes solutions, including education, government subsidies, and legislative measures. The report also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of various interventions, concluding that community education and government support are crucial for effectively managing dual diagnosis and improving workforce outcomes. References to relevant research and policies are included to support the analysis.

Running Head: WORKFORCE CHALLENGES WITH DUAL DIAGNOSIS 1
WORKFORCE CHALLENGES WITH DUAL DIAGNOSIS
Name
Institution

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Introduction
There has been great difficulty in providing adequate services for people with mental health
problems and substance abuse disorders in most parts of Australia. The report shows that about a
third of people living in various states in Australia are diagnosed with mental illness, and the
problem is very pervasive to the users. The Australian government has effective strategies and
interventions aimed to meet the complex needs of clients with comorbid illness (Roberts &
Mayberry, 2014).The programs may include providing clients with adequate skills to fight with
the disorders, providing outreach, which is assertive in nature, stage recovery, intensive
interventions, and training health caregivers. Various foundations such as Alcohol and Drug
Foundations (ADF), World anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have been put in place to fight
substance abuse. However, various reports state that though there is much funding to these
policies and foundations, there is still a large number of individuals in Australia who have not
yet been served by the initiatives (Canaway & Merkes, 2010). On the same, the article explains
various challenges various communities face in implementing the set strategies and gives a
solution to the problems.
Steroid Anti-doping Policy.
From the time of inception in 1999, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in
collaboration Agence Mondiale Anti-Dosage (AMAD) has been on toes to regulate doping
activities to all athletic events by close monitoring all athletes through taking their urine samples
regularly. It is in the view games fairness that the policy came about to regulate steroid usage. It
also gives warning to athletes against a harmful substance that enters the body, which is related
to illegal anabolic steroids (Lehner, 2013). Referring to the same, The Australian Sports Anti-
Doping Authority (ASADA) athletes are subject to steroid testing any time in that random

WORKFORCE CHALLENGES WITH DUAL DIAGNOSIS 3
selection of players is taken and tested for any substance in their bloodstream. If found having
consumed the said drugs see consequence e to be expected including burning for participation in
future
Community Challenges on Steroid Policy Implementation.
Poor Information on Steroids
There has been a big gap in knowledge of safety measures of long term steroid usage among
many patients and health practitioners. According to the recent study, there has been an
indication of poor steroid card usage, lack of knowledge of emergency packs in various homes
holds. Additionally, many health professionals have rarely interacted with steroid patients in
their daily routine; hence they may lack enough knowledge and experience to handle steroid
infections (Grounds, Khan, Adlan & Premawardhana, 2017)
Most of the policymakers have an inadequate understanding of the patients' substance use and
fail to understand the impact of steroid use on the addict; consequently, poor classifying illegal
substance abused and medically used steroids. Moreover, they lack proper knowledge of
screening steroid users and identifying people using illicit drugs. Equally, they may not have
enough efficient screening tools to perform the service, and screening may be poorly done.
Therefore affecting steroid implementation programs. Due to stigma on steroid users, many of
the users may fail to disclose the side effects of the steroid abused in fear of being accused by the
health caregivers causing many patients going unhealed from the problems caused by the
substances (McNeely et al., 2018)
Complex and Poor Service Delivery

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Lack of adequate knowledge on steroids poses a significant challenge to service provided to
the affected individuals. Most of the staff may have a negative attitude towards steroid usage,
and in fact, most of them have no drive to support anabolic steroid affected victims. Mostly no or
less research is done concerning their treatment resulting in inadequate guidelines of steroid
treatment. Many steroid users have prolonged complications due to insufficient treatment of the
infections, seeing that health practitioners do not have enough information on steroid screening.
Needle and Syringe Programs
The needle programs were introduced in the year 1980 aimed to reduce HIV transmission by
preventing victims from sharing the same needles in Australia. A lot of needles are distributed
with the aim of counseling, health care education, and blood screening. Although the program
was initiated to reduce people living with HIV caused by needle sharing by providing more
needles, it accelerated the number of people consuming substances due to syringe and needle
availability. Providing needles in control of other infectious diseases increases the amount of
steroid users. Those who have fewer technics of using the needles are taught by more
experienced individuals increasing infections caused by steroid use making most of the
communities fail in the implementation of steroid policies (Kimergård & McVeigh, 2014)
Insufficient Funds
Most of dual diagnosis implementation programs rely on federation for grants such
Federation Substance abuse block grants (FSBG) and Medicaid reimbursement, and State
general funds (MRSF) whose funds may not enough in provision of all the services required in
the programs such as buying enough medical tools, training health practitioners, providing
rehabilitation centers for those who are affected by substance abuse and mentally disorders.

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Relatively not all needs are met by the given grants since every grant given incurs an additional
cost to maintain it. Additionally, implementation programs such as WADA leaves depend on
borrowing, making it hard to implement on their set strategies and policies.
The solution to the challenges
To reduce steroid usage in our communities, we, therefore, need to have the following
strategies that will help us reduce the harmful effects of steroids.
There should be proper information given steroid users, including providing health-related
warnings since many consumers use the drugs without considering the side effects of the drugs.
Lectures and handouts to educate the consumers n the risk of steroid use should be planned and
well-strategized to have an impact on the consumers. A balanced education approach to athletes
on better substitutes of steroids may be more effective. Clinical information systems should also
be available to give health practitioners with relevant information on the way to handle and treat
steroid patients. Since Steroid usage is more prevalent among the youths, creating awareness
among high schools and universities may give a positive outcome (Fayyazi Bordbar,
Abdollahian, Samadi & Dolatabadi, 2014). The government, on the other hand, should subsidize
the campaigns against steroid usage so that the various strategies to be laid in fighting steroid
usage can run smoothly without depending on grants. The subsidy may be used to build more
rehabilitation centers, training clinicians, and buying more screening tools.
Additionally, legislative measures should be taken and monitor all steroid manufacturing
companies to ensure illegal substances do not get to the market. Besides, severe fines should be
charged against all illegal steroids producing companies so that to regulate steroid usage. The

WORKFORCE CHALLENGES WITH DUAL DIAGNOSIS 6
government should also burn games that do not comply with set policies, and those that have a
high rate of steroid usage, to act as an example (Williams, 2009)
Advantages and Disadvantages of Interventions
Using various interventions to mitigate steroid use may pose a challenge to implement them.
Educating health community workers and steroid users may sound very encouraging, especially
in a small affected community. This can be done in public places such as churches, schools,
public places. However, the strategy may be time-consuming and resource wastage, especially
there when there are many people or high populations to be taught.
Closing down harmful steroid manufacturing industries is useful when one needs a positive
outcome in the practice of steroid usage. Since the sectors emit harmful gasses in the air, closing
down reduces the air pollution produced by the gasses. However, shutting down the industries
poses a challenge to the community's wellbeing in matters of employment. Many people may
depend on manufacturing industries for employment; hence, closing down trades leads to
unemployment accelerating poverty.
Conclusion
Dual diagnosis is one of the significant world epidemic diseases caused by substance use or
mental illness. However, the effects of the disorders can be managed if the right strategies are
followed. Community education on together with psychology therapies to the affected may be of
great help in managing dual diagnosis illness. Moreover, the government should take part in the
management of the diseases by offering subsidies which can be as well contribute to fighting the
infections. However, the lack of the right strategies to cub the disorders may not be practical; in
fact, it may lead to resources wastage.

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References
Canaway, R., & Merkes, M. (2010). Barriers to comorbidity service delivery: the complexities of
dual diagnosis and the need to agree on terminology and conceptual frameworks.
Australian Health Review, 34(3), 262. Doi: 10.1071/ah08723
Fayyazi Bordbar, M., Abdollahian, E., Samadi, R., & Dolatabadi, H. (2014). Frequency of Use,
Awareness, and Attitudes toward Side Effects of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids
Consumption among Male Medical Students in Iran. Substance Use & Misuse, 49(13),
1751-1758. DOI: 10.3109/10826084.2014.880175
Grounds, K., Khan, I., Adlan, M., & Premawardhana, L. (2017). Poor knowledge of safety
aspects of long-term steroid use among patients and healthcare professionals. Clinical
Medicine, 17(4), 378-380. Doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.17-4-378
McNeely, J., Kumar, P., Rieckmann, T., Sedlander, E., Farkas, S., & Chollak, C. et al. (2018).
Barriers and facilitators were affecting the implementation of substance use screening in
primary care clinics: a qualitative study of patients, providers, and staff. Addiction
Science & Clinical Practice, 13(1). DOI: 10.1186/s13722-018-0110-8
Kimergård, A., & McVeigh, J. (2014). Variability and dilemmas in harm reduction for anabolic
steroid users in the UK: a multi-area interview study. Harm Reduction Journal, 11(1),
and 19. DOI: 10.1186/1477-7517-11-19
Lehner, M. (2013). Neufassung des World Anti-Doping Code 2015. Kölner Schrift Zum
Wirtschaftsrecht, 4(3). DOI: 10.9785/ovs-know-2013-250

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Roberts, B., & Maybery, D. (2014). Dual Diagnosis Discourse in Victoria Australia: The
Responsiveness of Mental Health Services. Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 10(3), 139-144.
DOI: 10.1080/15504263.2014.929332
Williams, C. (2009). Should the Government Flex Its Muscles and Regulate Steroids in Baseball-
Weakness in the Public Health Argument. U. Denver. Sports & Ent. LJ, 6, 151.