[NYAPRS Enews] Upstate NYS Counties Succeed with Voluntary MH Care to Kendra's Law Clients

[Harvey Rosenthal]

NYAPRS Note: The following articles underscore upstate effectiveness at
offering successful service packages on a voluntary basis to at risk New
Yorkers with psychiatric disabilities.  In 2005, the NYS legislature
extended Kendra's Law and ordered research to scientifically compare
voluntary to involuntary court mandated care, as had been done in 1999
at Bellevue. That didn't happen!


Yet, as the following coverage highlights, New Yorkers with psychiatric
disabilities in downstate counties don't get an equitable blend of
voluntary and involuntary approaches that their upstate counterparts do.
Approving the extension will move us towards that goal, especially given
Office of Mental Health Commissioner Hogan's recent new initiatives to
improve provider responsiveness. Following are excerpts from weekend
coverage.


 


How Kendra's Law Used Depends On Where You Live


By  <http://connect.syracuse.com/user/jmulder/index.html> James T.
Mulder  The Post-Standard  June 06, 2010


....Statistics from the state Office of Mental Health show that since
1999 the number of people Onondaga County has been able to get into
voluntary treatment is more than double the number it has asked the
courts to force into outpatient treatment. That ratio holds true
throughout an 18-county region that includes Central New York, the North
Country and the Southern Tier... In New York City, court orders for
treatment exceed voluntary agreements nearly 3 to 1.

"We don't do this lightly," said Sue Wiegand, of the Onondaga County
Mental Health Department, who coordinates court-ordered treatment for
the mentally ill here. . "I always try to do a voluntary agreement
first."

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Assembly Approves Extending Kendra's Law

By Michael Rukavina Observer June 4, 2010

...According to (Chautauqua County Department of Mental Health
Commissioner Patricia) Brinkman, ..Chautauqua County has used what they
call a diversion order with frequent success, before ever reaching the
point in which Kendra's Law would have to be invoked.

"We try and do everything we can to avoid going to court if at all
possible. Certainly, if we can get the individual to agree to comply
with treatment by using what we call a diversion agreement.. That is our
first preference, and we tend to have greater compliance; it also saves
dollars for the taxpayers because going to court is a costly process,"
she said. "We've been very successful with our diversion orders. 

"It's something that has worked so far and from what I understand,
coming from the state level, is the way the law is working now has been
beneficial to communities and to consumers so to get consensus around
making significant changes to that would have been much more difficult.
It was a wise decision to continue with the law as it is."


 

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