Tookit for Mental Health Providers

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• Toolkit for Mental Health Providers (PDF, 8.19MB)

Note: Throughout this toolkit the terms “tobacco use” and “smoking” are used interchangeably. Although we do not specifically address spit-tobacco use, the toolkit is generally applicable to spit-tobacco users.

This toolkit was developed for a broad continuum of mental health providers and the material is intended for direct providers, as well as 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; and
- Referral to Colorado community resources.

People with mental illnesses use tobacco at higher rates and are less likely to succeed at cessation attempts. They access general medical services and other community resources relatively infrequently than other smoking populations, while they struggle with stigma on several levels and generally experience a greater burden of morbidity and mortality than the overall population.

Researchers believe that people with mental illnesses smoke more due to a combination of biological, psychological and social factors contribute to increased tobacco use among persons with mental illnesses.