Tobacco Cessation

The use of tobacco products is the leading cause of premature death for people with mental illness or substance use disorders and contributes to persons with mental illness dying an average of 25 years earlier than the general population. Tobacco is responsible for greater morbidity than alcohol and all other drugs combined and is more deadly to people with substance use disorders than their primary presenting substance used. The towering morbidity and mortality rates in this population are also propelled by chronic diseases associated with tobacco use. These include diabetes, COPD and asthma, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

The Department of Mental Health believes that overall health is essential to mental health and that recovery includes wellness. Reducing or preventing tobacco use among consumers of DMH services is critical to both mental and physical health and wellbeing. Tobacco cessation should be an active goal of every mental health provider.

Below are resources that providers may find useful as they pursue tobacco dependence treatment for both consumers and staff.

Resources

Reports on Tobacco Use in Missouri - Basic descriptions of the demographics and patterns of tobacco use in Missouri.

The Missouri Plan - This is DMH’s own plan for reducing tobacco dependence in consumers of DMH services.

Information, Education, and Training Materials

Tobacco Treatment Training for Community Support Staff – This PowerPoint presentation provides basic information about tobacco and tobacco use presented by Tobacco Treatment Specialists from Crider Health Center.

Addressing Tobacco Use in Treatment Planning – A PowerPoint presentation by Crider Health Center, COMTREA and Queen of Peace Center on addressing tobacco use on the treatment plan. This Power Point presentation accompanies the YouTube video posted below.

ToolKits and Clinical Guides

Tobacco Treatment for Persons with Substance Use Disorders: A Toolkit for Substance Abuse Treatment Providers, Tobacco Use Recovery Now!, 2008.

A toolkit intended for professionals involved in the delivery of substance abuse treatment—counselors, clinical supervisors, managers, administrators and behavioral health organizations. The toolkit contains a variety of information and step-by-step instructions about low burden means of assessing readiness to quit, possible treatments, referral to community resources, and recommended agency policies for tobacco treatment and control.

Treatment Planning: Integrating Tobacco Use Interventions into Chemical Dependency Services, Professional Development Program, Rockefeller College, University at Albany, State University of New York, October 2009.

This training and technical assistance initiative was designed to help agencies use a multidisciplinary approach to integrate tobacco interventions into chemical dependence programs.

Smoking Cessation for Persons with Mental Health Illness: A Toolkit for Mental Health Providers, University of Colorado Denver, Department of Psychiatry, Behavioral Health and Wellness Program, January 2009.

Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update, Quick Reference Guide for Clinicians, Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, April 2009, Fiore M.C., Jaén C.R., Baker T.B., et al.

“Tobacco Use Cessation during Substance Abuse Treatment Counseling,” Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA Advisory, March 2011/

Obtaining Tobacco Cessation Products in MO

MO HealthNet covers tobacco cessation therapy which includes access to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and two (in lifetime) 12 week counseling sessions. This is the Medicaid bulletin that identifies the codes, allowable services and the practitioners covered under the program.