Speaker: Dr. Rob Tanguay
Session Description:
Concurrent disorders, the co-occurrence of substance use and other mental health conditions, represent a high-risk population with elevated rates of overdose, hospitalization, emergency department use, homelessness, and justice involvement. Fragmented service delivery between addiction and mental health systems has historically limited timely access and optimal outcomes.
Recovery Alberta has the opportunity to establish an integrated addiction and mental health system within a Recovery-Oriented System of Care. Key components include standardized screening at all entry points, rapid access to evidence-based pharmacotherapy for both substance use and psychiatric disorders, multidisciplinary team-based care, coordinated case management, and seamless transitions across acute, community, and recovery settings.
Integration must occur clinically, operationally, and strategically, with aligned governance, funding, digital infrastructure, and performance accountability. Strong partnerships with primary care, emergency services, housing, and justice sectors are essential.
By embedding integration across the continuum and measuring outcomes such as overdose reduction and system utilization, Recovery Alberta can improve efficiency, reduce fragmentation, and deliver meaningful recovery outcomes for Albertans living with concurrent disorders.
Learning Objectives
1. Describe the clinical and system-level challenges associated with concurrent disorders in Alberta.
2. Identify core components of an integrated addiction and mental health care model within a Recovery-Oriented System of Care.
3. Evaluate governance, operational, and performance strategies required to implement and sustain system integration.
References:
1. Hakobyan, S., Vazirian, S., Lee-Cheong, S., Krausz, M., Honer, W. G., & Schutz, C. G. (2020). Concurrent disorder management guidelines. Systematic review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9(8), 2406.
2. Scott, K. D., & Gorey, K. M. (2025). Concurrent disorders and treatment outcomes: A meta-analysis. Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 21(3), 251-265.
3. Meshberg-Cohen, S., MacLean, R. R., Martin, A. M. S., Sofuoglu, M., & Petrakis, I. L. (2021). Treatment outcomes in individuals diagnosed with comorbid opioid use disorder and Posttraumatic stress disorder: A review. Addictive behaviors, 122, 107026.
BIO
BSc (Hons), MD, FRCPC, CISAM, CCSAM
Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Calgary
Departments of Psychiatry and Surgery
Senior Medical Lead, Compassionate Intervention, Recovery Alberta
Senior Medical Lead, Addiction Services, Recovery Alberta
Co-Founder, Community RAAM, AHS
Commissioner, Calgary Police Commission
Member, Alberta Criminal Code Review Board
Director and Chair, Canadian Addiction Counsel
Hotchkiss Brain Institute & Mathison Centre for Mental Health
Dr. Tanguay is a psychiatrist who completed two fellowships, one in Addiction Medicine and Pain Medicine. He is a clinical assistant professor with the departments of Psychiatry and Surgery at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. Dr. Tanguay is the Senior Medical Lead for the Compassionate Intervention division of Recovery Alberta. He is the co-founder and co-developer of the Community Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) clinic for Recovery Alberta where he works clinically.
Dr. Tanguay is a member of the Calgary Police Commission, legislated to manage the annual budget (~$600 million) as well as to establish policies providing for efficient and effective policing. He is the Co-Chair of the Western Canadian Addiction Forum and Chair of the Canadian Addiction Counsel. He is a founding director of the Canadian Academy of Addiction Psychiatry and Co-Chair of the conference. Dr. Tanguay has been heavily involved in health policy, including helping to lead the Alberta Psychedelic Legislative Committee and the Alberta Safe Supply Legislative Committee. He was a member of the Alberta Recovery Expert Advisory Panel, directly advising the Alberta Minister of Addiction and Mental Health. He was a member of the Public Health Emergencies Governance Review Panel for the Government of Alberta and was a member of the Supervised Consumption Review Committee.
Dr. Tanguay has been recognized for his work and is the 2021 Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada recipient of the Early Career Leadership Award, was inducted into the University of Lethbridge Alumni Honour Society, is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, and is a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Dr. Tanguay has presented over 150 invited, plenary, and keynote lectures on three continents, speaking on policy, addiction, pain, and mental health. He has received $9,327,494 in operational and research grants. Academically, he is involved in research in trauma, addiction, chronic pain, opioids, cannabis, and psychedelics, and is a member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education at the University of Calgary.