Dual Diagnosis Alternate Level of Care
Vignette Series
The journey from hospital to home can be a significant challenge, especially for individuals with a dual diagnosis, which means they have both a developmental disability and a psychiatric condition. This group faces a higher risk of being designated as Alternate Level of Care (ALC). An ALC designation is given when patients no longer require hospital-level care but remain there, sometimes for extended stays, due to a lack of appropriate community settings and support. This situation not only adversely affects the ALC patient but also results in delays for other patients in need of hospital resources.
Each image below introduces you to the story of an individual with a dual diagnosis who experienced an ALC hospitalization and successfully transitioned to living in the community. Through their experiences and those of their families, we can understand some of the obstacles they faced and the strategies that paved the way to a successful transition. While the experiences of these individuals were far from perfect, they were guided by some key elements that made their transition smoother. Each story concludes by highlighting how these key elements align with the core components detailed in Supporting alternate level of care (ALC) patients with a dual diagnosis to transition from hospital to home: Practice guidance.
Meet Amanda
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Meet Taydon
Meet John
The Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre’s H-CARDD team, in partnership with CAMH’s Provincial System Support Program, has developed practice guidance on supporting successful transitions for ALC patients with a dual diagnosis who are experiencing prolonged hospital stays throughout Ontario. As part of the process, we spoke with individuals with a dual diagnosis and their families about their ALC experiences.
View the Practice Guidance, Executive Summary and Easy Read version on the H-CARDD website.