(March 6, 2017) Last month, we told you about the rapid progress made by one of the 17 new assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) programs across the nation made possible by a $15 million federal grant program announced in April 2016.
Today, we are pleased to announce that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is furthering its commitment to promoting the life-saving, evidence-based tool that is AOT by offering a training program at various locations across the country.
A series of two-day training conferences on implementing, establishing and maintaining a successful AOT program will be held this May and June.
The conferences will be held at three sites: Las Vegas, Nevada (May 16-17), Rockville, Maryland (June 1-2) and Detroit, Michigan (June 28-29).
Treatment Advocacy Center staff are developing the curriculum, in consultation with SAMHSA, and will be onsite at the events. Identical content will presented at all three conferences, so you need only attend one, and space is limited, so we encourage interested parties to register immediately.
Mental health professionals and advocates interested in initiating, expanding or improving AOT in their community are encouraged to apply. To be considered as a participant, SAMHSA encourages representatives to apply on behalf of teams of local stakeholders. Examples of such team members would include:
- Leaders and policymakers of state and local mental health agencies
- Judges who hear civil commitment cases
- Coordinators and providers of outpatient services to high-risk individuals with mental illness, and leaders of peer and/or family advocacy groups.
Solo applications will also be considered if space permits.
Attendance is limited to 50 participants per session, and the window for consideration is tight, so we encourage people to apply as soon as possible. The deadline for applications is Friday, March 24.
Further information can be found on SAMHSA's letter to prospective applicants and registration form.
You can also
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