An ever hopeful mom … AOT is a proactive stance!

A must read from my blogger friend an advocate extraordinaire ~ Karen Easter!

It's Time to Change Tennessee's Mental Health Laws!: An ever hopeful mom ...

This mother is ever hopeful that someday soon the severe and persistent mentally ill may receive timely treatment and that lack of insight (anosognosia) will trump the "civil rights" argument that currently prevents many from receiving this life saving intervention. 

Over my 7 years of advocacy, I have discovered Important Truth #1 critical to making this happen: 

We ALL must accept the full extent of the dependency needs of these chronically ill patients and that requires ... funding.

Which brings me to Important Truth #2:


Taking a proactive stance costs a whole lot less in the long run that taking a reactive one. 

Treatment instead of jail.



Treatment instead of living on the streets.



Treatment before tragedy. 



Let's make treatment accessible for all by improving our laws - not just for some with mental health issues - but for the folks considered the least of these by our society, the severe and persistent mentally ill.



Let's pass a statewide AOT law in Tennessee, sooner rather than later.



Because later is too late.

Which brings me to Important Truth #2: Taking a proactive stance costs a whole lot less in the long run that taking a reactive one. 

Treatment instead of jail.



Treatment instead of living on the streets.



Treatment before tragedy. 



Let's make treatment accessible for all by improving our laws - not just for some with mental health issues - but for the folks considered the least of these by our society, the severe and persistent mentally ill.



Let's pass a statewide AOT law in Tennessee, sooner rather than later.

Because later is too late.

Outstanding report from Ripon on our nation’s Mental Health Crises

Ripon Forum Kicks Off 48th Year of Publication by Focusing on America’s Mental Health Crisis

3 national view points on the broken mental health system and how to fix it!

The Fight to Rebuild Our Broken Mental Health System by: Rep Tim Murphy 

For far too long, those who need help the most have been getting it the least, and 

"where there is no help, there is no hope." 

We can, must, and will take mental illness out of the shadows of ignorance, despair, and neglect and into that bright light of hope. It starts with the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act (H.R. 3717). 

Read more:

http://www.riponsociety.org/forum141tm.htm

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According to advocate and activist DJ Jaffe, Murphy’s plan is based on a fundamental truth about the issue -- namely, that the problem is not one of dollars. It is one of misplaced priorities. 


There is a crisis. It involves people with untreated serious mental illness, not all others. Throwing money at mental health as Congress has done will not help those with serious mental illness. Passing HR 3717 is the best chance Congress has at addressing the real problem.  Read more: http://www.riponsociety.org/forum141dj.htm

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The Cost of Doing Nothing  by MARY GILIBERTI, new ED of NAMI

When taxpayer dollars aren’t spent on evidence-based, cost-effective programs, cost-shifting occurs across different systems. The criminal justice system is one of the most dramatic examples. Investing in mental health care at the front end can result in cross-system savings overall. In state prisons and local jails, 20 percent of inmates live with mental illness. In the juvenile justice system, the prevalence is 70 percent. 

Correction facilities are probably the worst places to treat 

mental illness. The goal should be to divert individuals from incarceration into treatment and to provide supports and services so they don’t enter the criminal justice system in the first place. 



Police Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT), mental health courts and community services like assertive community treatment (ACT) serve both diversion and prevention purposes. With ACT, teams of mental health professionals visit individuals where they live rather than expecting them to come to an office. This proactive approach helps people stay on a path to recovery -- and protects against relapses. ACT programs in the Chicago and Rochester, NY areas have shown savings up to $20,000 and $40,000 per person over the cost of hospitalizations or jail sentences. Read more: http://www.riponsociety.org/forum141mg.htm

NOTE: I agree with Mary that jail is the worse place for individuals with mental illness/brain diseases. But the goal should NOT wait until these 
individuals arrested! I will be writing to Mary Giliberti soon, because without Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) programs or 'treatment first,' none of the evidence based programs such as supportive housing, supportive employment or ACT will benefit individuals who are at risk of violence or lack insight to their illness/anosognosia! She obviously doesn’t have lived experienced in understanding this subset group of individuals who are most at risk and end up being pushed into the expensive revolving door.

Jail diversion is "NOT PROACTIVE" -- it's reactive.

If you feel the same, please write to Mary at: mgiliberti@nami.org 

Overhaul of Mental Health Care Long Overdue – HR 3717

Remember these stats when speaking to your Congressman or state legislators: 

"Easily two million patients with serious and persistent mental illness, many of whom lack insight into their schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, go without medical treatment. Why? Because the federal government has never approached serious mental illness as a health-care issue. This laissez-faire approach to brain illness has directly resulted in growing rates of homelessness and incarceration for the mentally ill over the last 20 years. Sadly, it has also led to numerous tragedies, including 38,000 annual suicides."

Read more at: http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20140126_Overhaul_of_mental_health_care_long_overdue.html#S0HZVu0SApfFRvvC.99

OHN OVERMYER / newsart.com

Some mental-health officials oppose commitment bill | Local News | The Seattle Times

Some mental-health officials oppose commitment bill | Local News | The Seattle Times

Consumer Advocate discusses AOT, HR 3717 and the need for advocates join efforts - not argue

Frustrated Consumer, Parent, and Advocate!

JAN 29

Posted by The EPIC Project for Mental Health

BLOGGER AMY HELLMAN

Mental Health in America is Lacking

It’s frustrating to read daily about the split among the “advocates” for mental health care in the United States.

The sad thing I see happening is that we need a full and comprehensive system of care for mental health and we don’t have that. Some consumers are “high functioning” and some consumers are unable to function at all. America needs a system that addresses all the people with mental health needs and a system that is able to address mental health needs on any part of the spectrum, depending on the needs of the person.

Court-ordered Treatment

AOT is a good treatment option. In my home state of Minnesota, the courts regularly court order people  to drug and alcohol treatment, and to psychiatric treatment if the court deems it necessary. Is Minnesota way ahead of the game? Minnesota courts have been doing this for a good 20 years. It works, again, as another viable treatment option. Not everyone needs a court order but some people do.

I know many people who were court ordered into various treatments and court-ordered treatment worked for them. They didn’t realize they had a drug or alcohol problem until they began learning about their disease of addiction  in their court ordered treatment. In chemical dependency treatment, one may also discover that they have an underlying mental health issue. They would deal with their needs in mental health also.

I have seen the same results with court ordered psychiatric treatment. It’s a tool to help those who need the help. First you do a psychiatric assessment and from that assessment, you find out if you in fact live with a mental health diagnosis. Learning about your mental health diagnosis and how to treat it is one of the very rewarding lessons that come from court-ordered treatment. Education and treatment works to help people towards recovery.

Please read more here as Amy describes how AOT works in Minnesota, the value of Peer Specialist and also the need to support HR 3717. 

http://amyhellman.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/frustrated-consumer-parent-and-advocate/

With CNN's Jake Tapper, Murphy Describes Mental Health System as "embarr...

Another 60 Minutes Report: "We can do a better job" ~ Scott Pelley

WATCH VIDEO HERE:
It's Time to Help Tennessee Families in Mental Health Crisis!: A 60 Minutes Report: Nowhere to Go: Mentally ill youth in crisis Scott Pelley reports on severe shortcomings in the state of mental health care for young people