Katreva Bisbee is President of NAMI Lansing and a committed mental health advocate.
During Mental Illness Awareness Week 2023, the community can come together to learn more about AOT and how it can be successfully implemented. A distinguished panel of speakers including the Honorable Milton Mack, State Court Administrator Emeritus, will lay out the evidence for and benefits of AOT, and discuss practical issues in strengthening AOT in Mid-Michigan. The public and professionals are invited to attend this free public event on October 4, 2023, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM at Hannah Community Center in East Lansing. Continuing education credits are pending for physicians, nurses, and social workers.
By Margaret Keeler, MSN, PMHNP-BC
Corresponding Secretary, NAMI Lansing
Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT), also known as Kevin’s Law, is an effective tool for civil courts and mental health systems to work collaboratively to help individuals with serious mental illness who are caught in a cycle of repeat hospitalizations, homelessness, and incarcerations.
Individuals who benefit from AOT have a history of inconsistent engagement with treatment often due to diminished awareness of the need for treatment and/or disparities in access to treatment. AOT aims to assist individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) to engage in treatment and ensure that the mental health system is attentive to their needs. (Treatment Advocacy Center).
Studies show that AOT can dramatically improve treatment outcomes, substantially reduce the likelihood of repeat hospitalizations and criminal justice involvement, and save money. The economic cost of untreated mental illness is more than $100 billion each year in the United States. With early intervention, these costs and risks can be reduced.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, mental illnesses are medical conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior. Mental illnesses can be associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities. Nearly one in five (19%) of U.S. adults, experience some form of mental illness, one in 24 (4.1%) has SMI, and one in 12 (8.5%) has a substance use disorder.
According to NAMI, unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, suicide, and poor quality of life are the staggering consequences of severe and persistent mental illness.
The negative impacts of SMI are not limited to the person with the illness but extend to the family members and the community. These impacts may be more pronounced in low and middle-income communities where the treatment gap for mental disorders is higher.
We know that all people with mental health conditions do not have the same level of access to care and do not receive the same quality of care. People of color are less likely to receive mental health services compared to those who are white because of inadequate health insurance, lack of access to quality care, and systemic issues that can impact willingness to seek care. Stigma is another factor that impacts access to mental health treatment. Many studies have shown that stigma around mental illness is higher among communities of color. (NAMI).
Making AOT more widely and equitably available locally can encourage recovery from mental illness and reduce the negative impacts of untreated severe mental illness. Michigan law makes AOT possible, however, education of professionals and the public about AOT has lagged. There also have been practical difficulties in linking the partners needed to effectively and consistently implement AOT. Advocacy from community members, the public and private mental health systems, and local leaders can help overcome these hurdles.
During Mental Illness Awareness Week 2023, the community can come together to learn more about AOT and how it can be successfully implemented. A distinguished panel of speakers including the Honorable Milton Mack, State Court Administrator Emeritus, will lay out the evidence for and benefits of AOT, and discuss practical issues in strengthening AOT in Mid-Michigan. The public and professionals are invited to attend this free public event on October 4, 2023, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM at Hannah Community Center in East Lansing. Continuing education credits are pending for physicians, nurses, and social workers.
NAMI Lansing, local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), began as Oasis Fellowship in 1974. The main impetus was to arrange housing in the Lansing area for patients exiting state hospitals. When similar groups connected in 1999, the National Alliance on Mental Illness was formed.
Today, NAMI Lansing continues to provide support, education and advocacy around pertinent mental health issues. NAMI Lansing is an affiliate of NAMI Michigan and also the National organization. Katreva Bisbee is President of NAMI Lansing and a committed mental health advocate. Margaret Keeler has been involved with NAMI Lansing since 2002.
