People with serious mental illnesses generally have service needs that extend well beyond core mental health treatments such as medication and counseling. This is especially true of people with co-occurring mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders (see Policy Statement 33, Establishment of Effective Substance Abuse Treatment, for more on coordination with substance abuse systems in particular) but applies to any person with mental illness who has concerns related to health care, housing, income supports and entitlements, or other requisite services. In many cases, these needs are best met by agencies or providers that can combine traditional mental health services with specific expertise in one of these additional service areas. It is certainly easier for clients to access services through providers able to link acute clinical services with necessary housing assistance, vocational rehabilitation, and educational services, for instance. Indeed, consumers often cite ease of access as an important reason for sticking with or abandoning treatment. Similarly, when they are served comprehensively by a single agency or by a well-coordinated partnership, consumers usually feel they are treated with greater respect. They are not asked for the same information again and again, and they may even be spared from filling out many forms.

From a clinical standpoint, provision of comprehensive, coordinated services simply makes sense. Even when a client sees different clinicians in the same agency, it is more likely that charts and records are consistent and there is agreement on treatment goals. To ensure similar coordination among multiple agencies, policymakers should promote formal agreements, such as memoranda of understanding (MOUs) to ensure the institutionalization of collaborative practices. These MOUs must always be translated into coordinated efforts at the point of contact with the consumer to achieve positive outcomes. (See Policy Statement 5, Promoting System Integration and Coordination, for more on coordinating different agencies through MOUs and information sharing.)