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The DDCAT and DDCMHT indexes

The Dual Diagnosis Capability in Addiction Treatment (DDCAT) Index, developed by faculty members at Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center, is used to assess public and private sector addiction treatment services at agency, regional and state system levels.

The DDCAT method is based on observational, interview and material review data gathered during a site visit. These data are then used to complete ratings on 35 benchmarks regarding policy, clinical practice and workforce domains.

(The Hazelden Co-occurring Disorders Program is based on the findings, observations, and studies of more than 200 addiction treatment programs using the DDCAT.)

Research article

Assessing the dual diagnosis capability of addiction treatment services: The Dual Diagnosis Capability in Addiction Treatment Services (DDCAT) Index McGovern, M. P., Matzkin, A. L., & Giard, J. L. (2007). Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 3(2), 111-123.

The Dual Diagnosis Capability in Mental Health Treatment (DDCMHT), developed by Heather Gotham, Jessica Brown, Joseph Comaty and Mark McGovern, is an adaptation of the DDCAT for application in mental health settings. The DDCMHT framework and method are identical to the DDCAT, but it is intended for use to evaluate the capacity of mental health services policy, practice and workforce to address people with co-occurring disorders.

There are seven dimensional or scale scores derived on the measure:

1. Program Structure
2. Program Milieu
3. Clinical Practice: Assessment
4. Clinical Practice: Treatment
5. Continuity of Care
6. Staffing
7. Training

A page from the DDCAT Rating Scale Click to see a larger version.

Programs receive scores and a graphic profile based on these dimensions. Based on overall performance, each is categorized as:

• Addiction Only Services (AOS)
• Mental Health Only Services (MHOS)
• Dual Diagnosis Capable (DDC)
• Dual Diagnosis Enhanced (DDE)

See also: What does my DDCAT/DDCMHT score mean?

The index was developed and tested in community addiction treatment programs and systems. Psychometric studies have also been conducted.

Applications of the DDCAT are in progress in at least 20 state systems and internationally, and the index is also being used to assess private treatment programs and systems.

Current research is focused on: 1) refining the instrument for content, scoring and interpretation; 2) linking DDCAT scores with patient and program level outcomes; and 3) adapting the index for mental health (DDCMH) and general healthcare (DDCHS) settings.