OMH Convening a Focus Group for Individuals and Families with Lived Experience with AOT & Focus Group for Advocates
The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) is in the process of evaluating Assisted Outpatient Treatment or AOT – aka Kendra’s Law – and planning for a new study.
We are setting up focus groups for individuals and family members who have lived experience with AOT so we can collect your input about what’s most important to study. We’re also seeking input from the advocacy community.
The focus groups for Individuals and Families will be held on:
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Date One: January 18, 2023 from 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm
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Date Two: January 26, 2023 from 10:30 am to 12:00 noon
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Date Three: January 31, 2023 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
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The focus group for Advocates will be held on January 30, 2023 from 11:00 am to 12:30 noon
We invite you to register for one of these dates and join us for these important conversations.
History
On August 9, 1999, the Governor signed Kendra’s Law (Chapter 408 of the Laws of 1999), creating a statutory framework for court-ordered Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) to ensure that individuals with mental illness and a history of hospitalizations or violence participate in community-based services appropriate to their needs. The law became effective in November of 1999 and reviewed periodically by the legislature for continuation. Since that time, the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) has been evaluating the impact of Kendra’s Law on individuals receiving court-ordered services. This past Budget session, in April of 2022, included several new substantive changes, and again extends the law until 2027. In 2009 the Duke Study was published, which was the first independent evaluation of the program.
For more information about AOT please visit: https://my.omh.ny.gov/bi/aot
Again, we’re inviting your participation in the focus groups to help us plan for an updated, objective study of the AOT program. Thank you!
Questions about the focus groups can be sent to Suzanne Feeney, Suzanne.Feeney2@omh.ny.gov