A Coordinating Center of Excellence in Dual Diagnosis (Mental Illness/Developmental Disabilites) initiates activities in Ohio on January 1, 2004. The CCOE’s mission is to focus the state on the systemic and clinical treatment needs of persons with co-occurring mental retardation/developmental disabilities and mental illness.

The CCOE is operated by Wright State University Department of Psychiatry in Dayton, the Nisonger Center in Columbus, and Ascentia, in coordination with the Case Western Reserve Department of Psychiatry in Cleveland.  The CCOE is funded and endorsed by the Ohio Department of Mental Health, the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, and the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council.

The mission of the CCOE is to identify best practices, train professionals in mental health, mental retardation/developmental disabilities and related service systems, and provide systemic and clinical consultation across Ohio.

In order to accomplish its mission, the CCOE has a plan to initiate the development of best practices to meet need and promote and demonstrate systemic and clinical best practices. In addition, the CCOE will implement a plan to bring models of both to local communities so that those communities will enhance their ability to meet needs at local levels. Once local capacity needs are enriched, a regional clinical assessment and consultation backup will organize and respond to unmet needs.