The MICA Case Conference Program at Tewksbury Hospital, Mass.: an integrated treatment model

Abstract

This report describes the MICA (Mentally Ill Chemically Abusing) Program at the Tewksbury Hospital campus in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Several campus facilities collaborate in the MICA Program. Through Expert Case Conferences, principles of integrated psychosocial treatment with dual diagnosis patients are demonstrated. An expert clinician focuses on the interplay between psychological pain, characterological traits, defenses, and the patient's drug of choice. Patients who have participated in the program have reported positive experiences. The staff reported that the program has resulted in facility improvement in assessment and treatment of complex dual diagnosis patients.