A study followed individuals who entered mental health crisis or substance abuse detoxification residential centers in San Francisco. The groups entering each type of facility had similar, and similarly severe, co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders and might have been expected to require similar services post-crisis. Of 106 recruited at mental health crisis residential centers, 99 percent obtained further mental health treatment—and 65 percent were also treated for substance abuse—during the following 24 months. Of 118 recruited at substance abuse crisis detoxification residential centers, 53 percent received mental health services and 79 percent received post-crisis substance abuse treatment in the same period. The patients recruited at substance abuse centers were almost twice as likely to undergo crisis detoxification at a residential center during the followup.
Source
Havassy, B.E., Alvidrez, J., and Mericle, A.A. Disparities in use of mental health and substance abuse services by persons with co-occurring disorders. Psychiatric Services 60(2):217-223, 2009. [Full Text]