RESCHEDULED: Monday, December 14
9PM Eastern Standard Time
Mental Illness Policy Org invites you to a conference call with Dr. Stephen B Seager, author Behind the Gates of Gomorrah: A Year with the Criminally Insane.
Call this number (712) 775-7031
Enter this Access Code:715-149
He will talk about his book and about a psychiatric parole program in California, Forensic Conditional Release (CONREP) that is like an enforceable version of Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) for prisoners that should be made available in other states.
SHARE THIS. IT IS A PUBLIC EVENT
(This call was previously scheduled for 12/7, but a problem at Sprint prevented the moderator, and some participants for calling in, so it has been rescheduled. Our apologies to those who tried to call in and the original time and could not participate)
Unbiased information on serious mental illness (not "mental health") for media and policymakers. Includes info on violence and mental illness, involuntary treatment, involuntary commitment, assisted outpatient treatment, AOT, Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity, NGRI
Missouri has done a terrific job with my brother, who has been on Forensic Conditional Release for about 8 years. Awhile ago, since he had been found NGRI for a violent crime, the forensic SW suggested to him that they follow him indefinitely and he agreed with that. They actively engaged him, forming a valuable therapeutic alliance. Last year, they noted that he was missing appointments, his apartment was messier and less organized, and paranoid ideation was re-emerging. Another family member was aware of some changes as well but inexplicably said nothing to me nor either of his social workers. But, acting together, both his regular psych rehab SW and the forensic SW picked him up and took him to the doctor. It was clear that he had stopped taking his medication either regularly or entirely. At that point he agreed to the injectable form of Resperdal (Resperdal Consta). Fortunately they did not feel the need to have him readmitted or punish him in any way. He never got bad enough that he lost his part time job or his apartment. I had been waiting for the other shoe to drop for years, expecting this to happen at some point. I had anticipated some terrible unravelling but it turned out to be more of blip than a disaster. I see AOT working like this, rather than the heavy-handed drama that many envision. By the way, he loves the ease of the monthly injection and not having to remember the one daily dose anymore.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this story.
DeleteThank you for telling this story about your brother.
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