We examined co-occurrence of (comorbid) alcohol, drug, and non-substance use psychiatric disorders in a population sample of Mexican-origin adults from rural and urban areas of central California. Co-occurring lifetime rates of alcohol or other drug disorders with non-substance use psychiatric disorders, or both, were 8.3% for men and 5.5% for women and were 12.3% for the US born and 3.5% for immigrants. Alcohol abuse or dependence with co-occurring psychiatric disorders is a primary disorder among Mexican-origin adult males (7.5% lifetime prevalence). US-born men and women are almost equally likely to have co-occurring disorders involving substances. Cobormidity is expected to increase in the Mexican-origin population owing to acculturation effects of both sexes.

Purpose -Despite the high prevalence of co-occurring disorders and the need for systems of care to integrate mental health and addiction services, integration remains a challenge. The purpose of this paper is to address this challenge by focussing on shared processes of recovery. Design/methodology/approach -After reviewing commonalities between mental health and substance use recovery, integration of treatment with recovery supports under the rubric of a "recovery-oriented system of care" is described. Philadelphia's Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services is then used as an example to illustrate strategies for achieving two forms of integration: mental health and addiction and treatment and recovery supports. Findings -Viewed through the lens of people with mental health and addiction challenges, the services and supports that promote recovery are very similar. One of the common themes that emerged was the need for these services to go beyond helping people manage their symptoms or achieve abstinence, to also helping them to rebuild their lives in their communities. In addition to co-location and increased collaboration, service providers must possess common values, a consistent approach, and a shared vision for the people they serve. Practical implications -Systems need to find innovative and effective ways to integrate recovery support services with treatment and other interventions, hopefully transforming existing services in the process. Originality/value -In the process of developing a truly integrated behavioral health system, a shared vision across all sectors of the system must shift away from the field's historical focus on illness and problems to a new focus on strengths and possibilities.

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Youth violence in the United States has emerged as a major concern for communities, policymakers and community researchers. This paper reports on the efforts of a child mental health clinic to build a community consensus around addressing violence that affects youth and all members of the community. We describe and give case examples regarding our approach to acquiring the perspectives of the community, particularly that of youth, discuss key themes and implications that emerged from our work, and offer preliminary recommendations for designing a youth violence prevention initiative in a disenfranchised community.

Although addiction-recovery mutual-aid support groups have grown dramatically and now span secular, spiritual, and religious frameworks of recovery, most of what is known from the standpoint of science about these groups is based on the early participation of treated populations in Alcoholics Anonymous. Many questions remain about the effects of participation in other mutual-aid groups and different pathways and styles of recovery within and across diverse ethnic groups. This article reviews existing data on ethnic group participation in recovery mutual-aid groups, summarizes the history of culturally indigenous recovery movements within Native American and African American communities in the United States, and describes strategies aimed at increasing recovery prevalence and the quality of life in recovery for persons of color in Philadelphia, PA.