Friday, November 22, 2024
11/22/2024
Project name: OCHN Assisted Outpatient Treatment for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness Oakland Community Health Network (OCHN) proposes the development of a comprehensive Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) program in Oakland County, Michigan. OCHN aims to develop dedicated resources by building a robust program and effective multi-disciplinary team allowing for cross-system collaboration, education, and training; while closing gaps of communication between person served, the provider, and the Probate Court. Per the U.S. Census Bureau, Oakland County has an estimated population of 1,270,426 individuals with 65% of people, who are age 18 and older. It is the second largest county in the state. According to NAMI, 355,000 adults have a serious mental illness in Michigan. OCHN's AOT program will serve residents of Oakland County with severe mental illness (SMI) as defined by the Michigan Mental Health Code who meet court-ordered involuntary treatment criteria due to their inability or unwillingness to engage in voluntary care, have a demonstrated need for treatment and have a substantial risk of harm to self or others due to the SMI. Drawing on research and best practices, this initiative underscores OCHN's commitment to upholding a person’s rights and autonomy within the legal framework. By establishing an AOT program, dedicated staff assists individuals in navigating the mental health and court systems, monitors treatment, and collaborates with the court, ultimately aiming for a comprehensive program that balances patient care with individual rights. OCHNs multifaceted approach is aimed at enhancing mental health services and accessibility, beginning with the expansion of the service area to include individuals regardless of their insurance status. This initial goal is supported by a strategy to recruit and onboard staff efficiently. Secondly, the project aspires to refine its operational framework by developing comprehensive policies and procedures tailored for the AOT program and its network of providers, who provide evidence-based interventions to assist in person achieving and maintaining stability and independence. This includes the formation of management and steering committees, meticulous policy analysis, and the drafting of actionable implementation plans, with a keen focus on adherence to evidence-based practices and standardized evaluation methodologies. Other goals emphasize the importance of training, data collection, and engagement strategies. OCHN prioritizes internal and cross-system educational initiatives about AOT, aiming to elevate partner and community knowledge through targeted training programs. In parallel, it seeks to establish robust data collection to transparently showcase service impacts and areas for improvement. Finally, the project is committed to enhancing treatment engagement rates through proactive court participation, comprehensive case management, and focused efforts to reduce hospitalization instances, recidivism and increase housing and employment stability. The performance indicators range from training outreach and participation metrics to quantitative assessments of service engagement and treatment efficacy, ensuring a data-driven approach to service enhancement and accountability. Based on historical numbers provided by the Oakland County Probate Court, the number of issued orders has increased by roughly 1.1% every year. While the Oakland County Probate Court was not comfortable predicting the future volume of orders, it is expected for the number of issued orders to continue to increase. Hence, OCHN is using the court’s 2023 data as a baseline and anticipates serving a potential total of 2800 individuals over the entire grant period. The breakdown is as follows: Year 1: 700, Year 2: 700, Year 3: 700, Year 4: 700.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
