Co-occurring Mental Health, Alcohol and Drugs service (COMHAD)

COMHAD is a partnership between Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust and New Vision Bradford

The service is there to meet the needs of people with co-occurring mental health and problematic substance use (a pattern of using drugs or alcohol that causes negative consequences in a person’s life), working alongside existing services.

COMHAD recognises that most people with substance use problems are also living with mental health challenges. Research shows that mental health conditions are experienced by 70% of people using drug services and 86% of those receiving alcohol related support.

It is everyone’s job to work together to reach shared solutions for this vulnerable group of people.

By promoting a trauma informed approach (shifting the focus from ‘what’s wrong with you?’ to ‘what happened to you?’ creating a safe, trustworthy environment where people can feel empowered and supported), COMHAD will help bridge the gap for those needing more effective responses to their unmet treatment needs. As a trauma informed service, COMHAD will not set inclusion criteria that ultimately further excludes people. We keep our inclusion criteria simple so as not to further exclude a group of people who already face too many barriers accessing services that can help address their unmet needs. Those barriers take on many shapes and forms, from the way services are configured right through to prevailing attitudes that can result in further stigma and exclusion.

Role of COMHAD

We provide short-term involvement, this involves assessing,  and identifying the person’s mental health needs. The individual is then referred to a service that can help them long-term. By bridging the gaps between services and effectively connecting people with integrated and specialist support, we can achieve success.

Referrals to date

Since our establishment in September 2024, we have accepted more than 500 referrals from our partners. This highlights the need of the service across the Bradford District.

The make up of the team

COMHAD is a modest resource comprised of 1 clinical lead, 2 mental health nurses and 2 mental health and addiction co-ordinators.

How to contact us

If you would like to speak to someone in the COMHAD service, email comhadservice@bdct.nhs.uk

Short video clips

Below are short clips from a mental health and addictions practitioner at New Vision Bradford, as well as a case study of an individual being referred to New Vision Bradford from COMHAD.

Meet Shannon, a Mental Health & Addictions Practitioner at New Vision Bradford

Case study: an individual being referred to New Vision Bradford from COMHAD