Biographical Sketch

Kathleen Sciacca, M.A., is a forerunner in the development of treatment methods, program development and comprehensive services for Mental Illness, Drug Addiction and Alcoholism (MIDAA)(R), Dual Diagnosis - Co-occurring Disorders. She has been providing treatment and developing programs for these for dual/multiple disorders including HIV since 1984, when there were no program models available and little attention given to this population as a priority. Her programs have been replicated across New York State and by agencies in numerous states across the country.

Ms. Sciacca is the Founding Executive Director of Sciacca Comprehensive Service Development for MIDAA. She provides national/international: consulting, program development, staff development, curriculum, educational materials, clinical materials, program materials, seminars, training programs, workshops, conferences, and treatment services for the development of comprehensive services across systems in mental health, drug addiction and alcohol programs -including HIV. Ms. Sciacca is a seminar and workshop leader, national lecturer, and consultant. (Presentation lists available at web site)

Ms. Sciacca is the former Director of the MICAA Training Site for Program and Staff Development, New York State-wide. NYS Office of Mental Health. She is a Program Developer for Mental Illness, Chemical Abuse and Addiction (MICAA); Ms. Sciacca directed the development and implementation of MICAA programming across New York State Mental Health, Substance Abuse, HIV, Criminal Justice and Homeless Services and their surrounding communities. As Program Specialist for NYSOMH, Ms. Sciacca developed new treatment and program models including new vocational initiatives, consumer self-help programs, programs for families and friends, curriculum and training programs, clinical program materials and designs, pilot projects for transitional programming, strategies from inpatient to community living, enhanced residential programming, community wide and state-wide service delivery.

MICAA Program Development

Ms. Sciacca served as clinical and administrative consultant on MICAA treatment and program development in New York State, and for various departments nationally and internatioanally, including Sweden, Italy and Canada. She has participated on expert panels for SAMHSA national reports, the RAND study and she wrote the the curriculum for dual diagnosis workforce competencies. She has developed treatment interventions and programs, curriculum, ongoing in-service and inter-agency training for inpatient and outpatient services at New York State Psychiatric Facilities across the state and in New York City mental health and substance abuse services. She has developed programs for specific agencies such as Columbia University Community Services in NYC (programs for the homeless); Odyssey House, NYC; Promesa, Bronx, NY; and programs across the country including: Genesis, CT.; New England Fellowship, R.I.; Whitehaven M.H., Memphis; Southcentral Counseling Center, Alaska; Jackson-Hillsdale CMHS, Michigan; Advocates, Mass.; Southeastern CT. CMHS, CT; Wellspring, KY; and numerous "inter-agency" program development endeavors across the country.

Inter-agency work includes assignments as " Consultant/Director of MIDAA Program Development" at Jackson-Hillsdale C. M. H. Svcs. and cross county program development; South Central Michigan S. A. Commission in Michigan. Here she cross trained SA and MH staff to provide integrated services at various programs across both systems. This project included research outcome; At Southeastern CT. CMHC included clinics, day treatment, crisis care and surrounding agencies including shelters, residential care, supportive apartments, and a clubhouse. This project included the development of a new clinic and day treatment program for dual diagnosis; Advocates, Framingham, Mass., a statewide residential care program that also provides case management, and a SA clinic; The State of Alaska, Dept. of Mental Health, University of Alaska, included on-going statewide training and program development for numerous program models MH and SA in both rural and urban settings; Director of MIDAA Programs for Southcentral Counseling Center in Anchorage, Alaska, a very large agency, where she has developed and implemented MIDAA programs across each program site, including services for the dually diagnosed homeless;. Program development across agencies in Grand Rapids, Michigan; program development across programs in a large CMH system in Connecticut; The development of residential and community services programs in Mississippi; Statewide program development in North Carolina; Statewide Program Development in Louisiana; Statewide Program Development in Tennessee; Inter-agency program development for the dual diagnosis coalition in Dallas,Texas and surrounding areas; City wide program development in Washington, DC; Present work includes: Statewide program implementation in Georgia for MHMRSA; and Multiple county wide program development in Tehama county, California. She provides Motivational Interviewing training and program materials for NYS Psychatric Institute Columbia University and Nathan Klein Institute's reasearch projects for homeless women and homeless men.

Special Ancillary Programs Developed

Ms. Sciacca developed MICAA-NON (published 1997), a program for families and friends of MICAA consumers that has been replicated. Ms. Sciacca developed "Helpful People In Touch", a consumer self-led, self-help program for MICAA consumers (1987) replicated.

Ms. Sciacca provides lectures, workshops, and training for specific agencies, communities, states, conferences and other events of various duration.

Community-wide Interagency Program Development

Ms. Sciacca developed an interagency process, strategies and curriculum for program development community wide, including cross- training across systems. She directed interagency program development/implementation, and staff development training for a two year grant funded project in Connecticut. She has conducted statewide interagency training and program development in Tennessee, North Carolina, Louisiana, Alaska, New York, Texas and elsewhere. She developed this process of community-wide program development in 1987 in Westchester and Putnam Counties, and the Tri-State (NY, NJ, CT) Areas. She replicated it in New York City and in other communities around the country. Ms. Sciacca provides statewide, in-depth training and consulting.

Program Models and Communities

Ms. Sciacca has provided training and developed programs for day treatment, continuing treatment, clinics, residences, psycho-social clubs, psychosocial rehabilitation programs, vocational rehabilitation, case management, inpatient units, programs for the homeless, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams, Detoxification centers, chemical dependency clinics, half-way houses, therapeutic communities, and other service models for both adults and adolescents. She has done extensive work in the following states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Canada & Stockholm, Sweden.

Research

Ms. Sciacca is a former Research Associate to Pace University. She was co-investigator on three separate grant-funded research projects on the homeless in collaboration with Pace Faculty and Research Center. Ms. Sciacca's focus is on the Homeless, Mental Illness and Alcohol/Drug Abuse.

Ms. Sciacca has collected data on Mental Illness and Substance Abuse with the use of the assessment instrument she has designed for MICAA patients. She recently completed a survey of families' perceptions of issues of the dually diagnosed, 1993. She has developed and implements evaluation instruments for treatment outcome.

Professional Panels and Task Forces

Ms. Sciacca is a former member of the Senior Supervisory MICAA Clinical Panel for the New York State Office of Mental Health. This panel was comprised of senior clinicians with expertise in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with combined mental illness and chemical abuse.

Ms. Sciacca has been directly responsible for the enthusiasm and interest leading to the development of committees, task forces and programming which specifically address MICAA patients. She has worked with Task Forces and Educational Seminars that include interagency professional staff from Manhattan, Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess Counties and Connecticut. She was a member and consultant to the Upper Manhattan District Mental Health Services Advisory MICAA Subcommittee where she provided consultation and training in Harlem and the Washington Heights areas of New York City.
Ms.Sciacca participated in developing the consensus report commissioned by SAMHSA: SAMHSA/CMHS Best Practice Guidelines for Co-occurring psychiatric and substance disorders/Clinical Standards and Workforce Competencies, 1998. She wrote the curriculum addendum to the report.

Education

B.S., Psychology, SUNY, 1976; M.A. Clinical Psychology,1980, New School for Social Research, Graduate Faculty; and 1980-1984, Ph.D. study completed in Clinical Psychology (all but dissertation), New School for Social Research. Ms. Sciacca received training and supervision in Self Psychology and other methods at the Psychotherapy Institute, and training and supervision on alcoholism and drug abuse treatment; she completed a certificate program in professional group leadership and as trainer of "Theme -Centered Interactional Group Leading;" she has completed training and certificate in the practice of clinical hypnosis, and she has received a certificate as trainer of: "Motivational Interviewing ..." she is a member of the MINT - Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers since 1995

Previous And Present Positions Held By Ms. Sciacca

Administration and Training: Kathleen Sciacca was Administrator of the Workshop Institute for Living-Learning, and teacher of the Theme-Centered Interactional Method of Group Leading, a training program in professional group leadership through 1977.

College and University Teaching: Ms. Sciacca taught at Queens College, a credit granting course in group leading models, in 1975. She has guest lectured at Pace University on dual diagnosis, and presented seminars at Buffalo University for the Alcohol Addiction Studies Institute in 1987. At Buffalo University she taught a credit granting graduate level course on Dual Diagnosis in 1988. She has provided case management training at Hunter College, New York City (1989), and other forums. She is a guest lecturer at Hunter College Masters Program in Rehabilitation Counseling and at Columbia University School of Social Work.

Drug And Alcohol Treatment

Ms. Sciacca was Primary Therapist, Vocational Coordinator, and Program Developer of pre-employment group programs for clients with a primary diagnosis of drug addiction and alcoholism in a community based treatment program in the South Bronx, N.Y.C., Bronx-Lebanon Hospital, 1977-1984.

Private Practice

Ms. Sciacca has provided individual and group psychotherapy for mental health disorders including substance abuse/dependence from 1976 through 1998 in private practice and as MA psychologist for the New York State office of Mental Health Psychiatric Care Programs.

Mental Health Program Specialist, Director of MICAA Training Site

Ms. Sciacca served as M.A. psychologist for the New York State Office of Mental Health where she provided treatment for individuals with severe mental illness and personality disorders with and without co-occurring substance disorders, and for couples and families. In this position she developed the first treatment approaches for people who had dual/multiple disorders of co-occurring mental illness and substance disorders. She went on to educate and train other staff throughout the institution's six community program sites and the main hospital (Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center). She was appointed by the New York state deputy commissioner of mental health to develop dual diagnosis programs state-wide, and to oversee pilot projects across the state. In that position as Director of the MICAA Training Site for Program and Staff Development New York State-wide, she designed and delivered staff development curriculum; clinical tools and materials; program tools and materials, and implemented programs across the state. She implemented the "inter-agency" process of program development and included agencies across systems both public and private that were not part of OMH to participate in training and program implementation. She provided treatment methods, curriculum and training, and program development in the position of Mental Health Program Specialist and Director of the MICAA Training Site 1984-1992.

Executive Director/Consultant, Sciacca Comprehensive Service Development for MIDAA (SCSD) (1990-2002). When OMH serious budget cuts interfered with program development and expansion Ms. Sciacca eventually went out on her own. She continued her work nationally and internationally as a consultant and as the director of SCSD. Her work continues as educator, trainer, and program developer for co-occurring disorders for numerous states, cities, counties, communities, agencies and organizations across the United States and Internationally.
Other endeavors: Owner: DUAL DIAGNOSIS WEBSITE (http://pobox.com/~dualdiagnosis)
Owner: Dual Diagnosis Program Directory: (http://cgibin.erols.com/ksciacca/cgi-bin/db.cgi)
Owner: Dual Diagnosis Credentialed Listserv: (listserv@sjuvm.stjohns.edu) subscribe DUALDIAG Your name)
Former Dual Disorders Forum Moderator:
Ms. Sciacca provided oversight and contributed to the Dual Disorders forum for CSAT, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockville, Maryland. CSAT FORUM ID via CONNECT: KSCIACCA, Internet e-mail: ksciacca@pobox.com.

Videos And Television Appearances

Ms. Sciacca was content consultant and participated in the making of the video "MICAA/Dual Diagnosis" which was developed for the N.Y.S.O.M.H. Office of Staff Development in 1988, and continues to receive national distribution. In 1990 she was content consultant and participated in the making of a training video for residential care staff throughout all residential models of service in New York State and nationally.

Ms. Sciacca has appeared on the following television programs:

1987 Television talk show "Cross Section" Program "Help for the Homeless" 1988 "Cross Section: MICAA New Solutions to Old Problems" 1989 " Cross Section: MICAA Moves Ahead" These programs were aired in New York City, New York State and nationally. Ms. Sciacca, and reviews of her work have been aired on various TV news programs and documentaries around the country.

Video Producer

"Integrated Treatment for Mental Illness, Drug Addiction and Alcoholism (MIDAA): The Alaska Example. Produced by: K. Sciacca 1994. A comprehensive education and training video for Dual/Multiple disorders. Video received excellent review in Psychosocial Rehabilitation Journal, Spring 1995, and from Hospital & Community Psychiatry video award commentary 1994.

Publications

Ms. Sciacca's programs and accomplishments in this field have been reviewed, recognized, and written about by The New York State Commission on Quality of Care for the Mentally Disabled (October-November 1986) and TIME Magazine (August 3, 1987), various newspaper articles, among other notables.

Ms. Sciacca has published the following articles, book chapters and manuals:

*"Alcohol/Substance Abuse Programs at New York State Psychiatric Centers Develop and Expand ..." This Month in Mental Health, Volume 10, No. 2, February 1987, page 6, and in Dialogue, a Publication of Harlem Valley P.C., Spring 1986-Spring 1987, page 1.
*"New Initiatives in the Treatment of the Chronic Patient with Alcohol/Substance Use Problems" TIE Lines, Volume IV, No. 3, July 1987. Also Addiction Intervention with the Disabled Bulletin - Fall 1987, Vol. 9, No. 1.
*"MICA-NON, Working With Families, Friends, and Advocates of Mentally Ill Chemical Abusers (MICA)" AID Bulletin (Addiction Intervention With The Disabled) Fall 1988, Vol. 10, No. 1. Also in TIE Lines, Volume VI, No. 3, July 1989.
*"Mental illness, Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, Multiple Disabilities ... Whose Patient, Whose Treatment Approach?" Paper presented at American Orthopsychiatric Association Annual Meeting, New York, NY, April, 1989 and at American Psychological Association Convention, New Orleans, La., August, 1989.
*"An Integrated Treatment Approach for Severely Mentally Ill Individuals with Substance abuse Disorders" New Directions For Mental Health Services: Dual Diagnosis Of Major Mental Illness and Substance Disorder. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass 1991 (50).
*"The Family and the Dually Diagnosed Patient" Sciacca, K. and Hatfield, A., Double Jeopardy, Lehman,and Dixon, eds., Gordon & Breach publ.1995.
*"Peer Support for People Challenged by Dual Diagnosis: Helpful People In Touch " Consumer led self help for MIDAA. Book: Consumers as Providers, IAPSRS, 1997.
*"Program Development and Integrated Treatment Across Systems for Dual Diagnosis: Mental Illness, Drug Addiction and Alcoholism (MIDAA)" Sciacca, K. and Thompson, C.M., The Journal of Mental Health Administration, Summer, 1996.
*":Removing Barriers: Dual Diagnosis Treatment and Motivational Interviewing" Sciacca, K., Psychological Counselor, February 1997.

Books

Ms. Sciacca is author of the "MIDAA Service Manual," A Step by Step Guide to Treatment and Program Implementation for the provision of services for dual/multiple disorders. The manual includes forms and program underpinnings such as screening, client readiness measures, engagement strategies, comprehensive clinical assessment instruments; outcome criteria and measures, evaluation tools for both client and program outcome; and numerous other clinical instruments and guidelines for comprehensive services. These materials have comprised the foundation and program underpinnings for numerous co-occurring, dual diagnosis programs across the country. (The Manual is available for purchase from the author and at the Dual Diagnosis Website). It was published in 1990, with continual revisions in 1995, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2002. This manual has received an excellent review in Psychosocial Rehabilitation Journal, Vol.18, No.4, Spring 1995.

The following (partial list of) articles have been published about Ms. Sciacca's treatment model and program implementation:
Gigliotti, Marcus. "Program Initiatives for Dually-Diagnosed at Harlem Valley P.C."
Quality of Care, a Newsletter by the N.Y.S. Commission on Quality of Care. Issue 28, Oct.-Nov. 1986, pg. 9.
Edelman, Marcia. "Treatment of Young Chronic Patients: Update" This Month in Mental Health. Volume 10, No. 5, May 1987, Pg. 10.
Hospital News, Hudson Valley. "Unique Alcohol, Substance Abuse Program Offered at HVPC" Volume 1, No. 11, Feb. 1987, Pg. 15.
Gorman, Christine. "Bad Trips for the Doubly Troubled" TIME Magazine, August 3, 1987, Pg. 58.
Lipman, Harvey. "Mental-health system fails alcoholics, drug abusers" Albany Times Union, March 13, 1988, Pg. 1.
Brown, Vivian B. et al. "The Dual Crisis: Mental Illness and Substance Abuse" American Psychologist. Volume 44, No. 3, March 1989, Pg. 565.
Minkoff, Kenneth. "Program Components of a Comprehensive Integrated Care System for Seriously Mentally Ill Patients with Substance Disorders." "New Directions in Mental Health Services, Jossey-Bass, #50, Summer 1991. And many more recent references and reviews too numerous to list here.

Ms. Sciacca is a Certified Trainer and Faculty at New York State OASAS - all courses and training approved for credit.
Ms. Sciacca is a member of the MINT -Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers, since 1995.
Ms. Sciacca is included in: Who's Who of American Women, since 1993, Who's Who in Science Worldwide, In Medicine, in the East, etc., through the present 2002.
Ms. Sciacca is an Associate Member of the American Psychological Association
A member of Northamerican Association of Masters in Psychology NAMP.

Presentations

Ms. Sciacca has been presenting as an educator, trainer and consultant on the topic of dual/multiple disorders since 1984 as keynote lecturer, workshop leader, seminar leader and plenary speaker and director of numerous projects. The following is a partial list of some of the organizations that have sponsored her presentations: American Psychological Association; American Psychiatric Association; Hospital and Community Psychiatry; American Orthopsychiatric Assoc.; IAPSRS; National Alliance for Mentally Ill; University Medical College of PA.; Buffalo University; New York Medical College; American Association for Partial Hospitalization; Alaska Dept. of Mental Health; National Institute of Mental Health; Arizona Dept. of Health; Arkansas Council of Community M.H. Centers; National Council of Community M.H. Centers; ACLAIMH; Delaware Dept. of Health and Social Services; Yale Medical College; Fordham University; Mass.Dept. of Mental Health; West VA. Dept of Health Services; U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services; U.S. Navy; Various Veteran's Administrations; Texas Dept. of Mental Health; Catholic Charities; D.C. Commission of Mental Health; Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies; Postgraduate Center for Mental Health; Columbia University; Rhode Island Dept. of Mental Health; CT. Dept. of Mental Health; University of Alaska Anchorage; North Carolina Dept. of Mental Health; University of Missouri; Tennessee Dept. of Mental Health; Tennessee Dept. of Health Substance Abuse; New York University; Jefferson Parish Human Services Auth., New Orleans; Health and Hospitals Corp.; Florida Dept. of Human Rehabilitation; Michigan Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Commission; N.Y. State office of Mental Health: State of Wyoming; Mid-Coast Dual Diagnosis Collaborative, Maine; Butler County Mental Health Board, Ohio; Chesapeake Mental Health Board, Virginia; Mississippi Dept.of Mental Health; TCADA,Texas; VINFEN, Mass.; Tehama County MH, CA.; University of North Carolina; HIV/AIDS Programs Detroit Health Dept.; NYS Psychiatric Institute; Georgia Dept. MHMRSA; Dept. of Public Health, San Francisco, CA.; Alexandria CS Board, VA.; Prince George's County Health Dept. MD.; Florida Council for CMHS; MN Assoc. of Comm. MH Programs; Council of Latino Agencies, DC; DC Commission on MH and APRA; NYC Dept. of Health HIV Training Institute; Bronx MICAA Committee, NY; NJ Assoc. of Mental Health Agencies; North Carolina Dept. of Corrections; Baltimore Mental Health Systems; STCADA, Laredo, TX; US Navy, San Diego; Utah County Human Services; Greater Oregon Behavioral Health; Fresno County and California State Univ.; Illinois Dept. of Corrections; Abandoned Infants Resource Center, CA; County of Santa Clara Depts. of A & D and MH, CA; Stockholm, Sweden; Rome,Italy; British Columbia, Canada, Victoria, Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto: and numerous other national/international, statewide, county and local agencies. References available upon request.