What is DDCOT?
The Dual Diagnosis Consultation Outreach Team (DDCOT) of Providence Care’s Regional Specialty Community Mental Health Services provides assessment, consultation, recommendations, and time-limited treatment for individuals over the age of 16 who have a dual diagnosis – a diagnosed intellectual disability, an IQ at or below the 2nd percentile, as well as poor adaptive functioning with a suspected or diagnosed mental illness and/or behavioural disorder. DDCOT sees persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who have compromised cognitive and adaptive functioning. If you have questions about this, please contact our office at 613-530-2400 or 1-866-699-8544.
Consultation includes client, family physicians, and caregivers with recommendations for treatment and support. Team members include Psychology, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Nursing and Psychiatry. Developmental Services and Addictions and Mental Health Services (AMHS) retain responsibility for case management and oversight, implementation, and monitoring of clinical recommendations and oversight of staff in their programs.
Before Making a Referral – Please ensure that your patient has had a complete physical, dental, vision and hearing exams to rule out possible physical health issues. If the person has a seizure disorder, when was the last neurology appointment? GERD, constipation, and untreated pain are common for people with Intellectual or Developmental Disability (IDD). For women, PMS, menopause, and UTIs are frequent causes of responsive behaviour.
http://www.cfp.ca/content/cfp/52/11/1410.full.pdf
• ECG in the last 3-6 months
• Blood investigations
What we need to proceed with a referral – When physical health issues have been treated or eliminated as a possible cause, please forward to our office:
• Evidence of an intellectual disability or developmental disability. Psychological testing indicating cognitive function at 2nd percentile or below or clear diagnosis of ASD. If you, the client or caregivers do not have a copy in their files, testing can be requested from last secondary school attended, Child Development Centre, or DSO if eligibility has been completed. For individuals who have been crown wards, Children’s Aid Society (CAS) may have copies of testing or provide name of assessor. For recipients of Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) documentation of the person’s disability could already be on file.
In addition, please forward any of the following you have on your patient record:
• Any previous psychiatric reports
• Any brain imaging (MRI/CT) reports if not completed at KGH/HDH
• Any hearing, vision and dental results in the last 2 years
• Urinalysis (including drug screening)