Treatment Advocacy Center - PowerPoint Presentation

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Treatment Advocacy Center

The Treatment Advocacy Center advocates for the

reform of laws, policies and practices

to eliminate barriers to the treatment of severe mental illness.

We are the only national nonprofit that

does not

solicit or accept funding from companies involved in the sale marketing or distribution of pharmaceutical products.

Maryland and Volunteer Services

ACT teams

Psychiatric Rehabilitation

Crisis House

If you build it, they won’t come

Homelessness

Incarceration

Irreversible brain damage resulting in worsened outcomesSuicidal/Homicidal actionsLong term trauma to families and communities

Anosognosia

, also called "lack of insight," is a

symptom

of severe mental illness experienced by some that impairs a person’s ability to understand and perceive his or her illness and need for treatment.

The symptom of the illness is that you don’t know you’re sick.

Approximately

50%

of individuals with schizophrenia and

40%

with bipolar disorder have symptoms of

anosognosia

.

How We

Solve

This Crisis:

Our efforts are divided into 3 areas of focus:

Modernizing Treatment Laws

Promoting Evidence-Based

Community Care

Conducting Unique Research

We Produce Unique Research Reports

Grading the States: An Analysis of U.S. Psychiatric

Treatment Laws

examines the laws that provide for involuntary treatment for psychiatric illness.

For each state, we analyzed whether an individual who needs involuntary evaluation or treatment can receive it in a timely fashion, for sufficient duration, and in a manner that enables and promotes long-term wellbeing.

Five states contain no path to civil commitment for those who cannot meet their basic needs due to mental illness (Alabama, Delaware, District of Columbia,

Maryland

and New York)

Ten states earned an A grade, while eight received an

F

, including Maryland. Maryland’s over all grade for emergency inpatient commitment was a

17

out of

50

.

We Fight To Increase Access To Care

Dangerousness: Criteria for danger to self should expressly include grave disability and psychiatric deterioration.

Criteria for psychiatric deterioration should allow consideration of treatment history and the likelihood of future psychiatric deterioration without treatment.

The grave disability standard, alternatively called the “basic needs” standard, authorizes intervention for treatment if the risk of harm is based on a person’s inability due to mental illness to provide for the basic necessities of human survival or to avoid harm.

Statutory language defining the “grave disability” standard should not require imminence or an unreasonably high risk of harm.

Policy Recommendations

Amend the Dangerousness criteria to include

Grave disability and

Psychiatric deterioration standards

These standards have been shown to; reduce police involvement as first and sole responders, allow treatment before tragedy and allow medical intervention over incarceration.

States have the authority to intervene and provide involuntary care if an individual poses a danger to self or to other people .

The wide variation in the states arises from

the level of detail

the legislature includes in defining dangerousness, particularly danger to self .

We Fight To Increase Access To Care

DANGER TO OTHERS:• Violence or bodily harm, including attempts• Threats or conduct demonstrating a risk of violence or harm

• Property damage

DANGER TO SELF:

• Suicide or bodily harm, including attempts or threats

• Failure to meet basic needs (grave disability)

• Failure to protect self from harm

• Psychiatric deterioration or harm without treatment (need for treatment)

DANGEROUSNESS CRITERIA

How does Maryland define dangerousness:

Maryland § 10-622(a)(1)(2)       

The individual presents a danger to the life or safety of the individual or of others.

States whose definition of Danger to Self includes “Gravely Disabled” and Psychiatric Deterioration

Minnesota:

An inability for reasons other than indigence to obtain necessary food, clothing, shelter, or medical care as a result of the impairment and it is more probable than not that the person will suffer substantial harm, significant psychiatric deterioration or debilitation, or serious illness, unless appropriate treatment and services are provided;

West Virginia:

The individual is behaving in a manner as to indicate that he or she is unable, without supervision and the assistance of others, to satisfy his or her need for nourishment, medical care, shelter or self-protection and safety so that there is a substantial likelihood that death, serious bodily injury, serious physical debilitation, serious mental debilitation or life-threatening disease will ensue unless adequate treatment is afforded.

Vermont:

A danger of harm to himself or herself may be shown by establishing that:

he or she has behaved in such a manner as to indicate that he or she is unable, without supervision and the assistance of others, to satisfy his or her need for nourishment, personal or medical care, shelter, or self-protection and safety, so that it is probable that death, substantial physical bodily injury, serious mental deterioration, or serious physical debilitation or disease will ensue unless adequate treatment is afforded.

Thank You

For more information please visit

treatmentadvocacycenter.org

or email

muhammads@treatmentadvocacycenter

. org