News and Commentary from the

Treatment Advocacy Center

April 2022

Below is a summary of recent developments and compelling news stories from across the country highlighting America's broken mental health treatment system and how to fix it.

Treatment Advocacy Center in the News

Executive Director Lisa Dailey's reaction to Calif. Gov. Newsom's new mental health plan was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle. Dailey was quoted as saying that expanding the range of people who can initiate court action to enter someone with SMI into treatment could be a major improvement, helping this vulnerable population escape the "revolving door" of incarceration, homelessness and hospitalization. Read more here.

Executive Director Lisa Dailey was quoted in Augusta Free Press voicing Treatment Advocacy Center's support for a Virginia bill that boosts spending on and prioritization of programs that divert people with SMI from jails and into care. Dailey emphasized that SMI requires a medical response instead of a criminal justice one. Read more here.

Treatment Advocacy Center's Policy Director Brian Stettin published an op-ed with Rep. Taylor Harling (NY-Assembly District 18) in the Albany Times Union highlighting the successes and debunking the myths surrounding New York's version of AOT, Kendra's Law. Read more here.

Treatment Advocacy Center's Policy Director Brian Stettin was quoted in Gotham Gazette urging New York officials to improve the implementation of Kendra's Law through additional legislation, in an article about expanding AOT in the state's budget. Read more here.

Crisis Conversations: Problem-Solving Sessions

Executive Director Lisa Dailey and DJ Jaffe Advocate Sabah Muhammad spoke at two events in partnership with NAMI and CAI: "Crisis Conversations: A Problem-Solving Convening General Audience Session” and "Crisis Conversations: A Problem-Solving Convening General Advocates Session.”

At the first event, Executive Director Lisa Dailey spoke about the new 988 crisis hotline coming in July and how to advocate for severe mental illness issues connected with the hotline’s rollout.

At the event the following day, DJ Jaffe Advocate Sabah Muhammad discussed how to elevate the voices of individuals and families with lived experience to identify the critical gaps and barriers in the current system of care. Muhammad appeared alongside serious brain disorder advocate and co-founder of Iowa Mental Health Advocacy Leslie Carpenter.

RESEARCH WEEKLY: April 2022 Recap

84% COVID-19 vaccination rate among patients with serious mental illness

In a new study published in Psychiatric Services, researchers found significant impacts from a pilot project aimed to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake among individuals with serious mental illness at a community mental health center. The project included educational opportunities about the vaccine from clinicians to identify concerns and increase confidence in the vaccine. After the project implementation, there was an 84% COVID-19 vaccination rate among individuals with serious mental illness who participated, compared to the estimated state vaccination rate on the same date, which was between 62.1% and 77.3%. This is in line with Treatment Advocacy Center’s own findings that suggest targeted outreach can increase vaccine uptake among those with serious mental illness.

Find all of this month's research highlights here.

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