We are the Connecticut voice of the National Shattering Silence Coalition. We are volunteers representing parents and caregivers fighting for loved ones living with severe mental illness (SMI), a no-fault brain disease. We educate and advocate for people with SMI to receive early and quality treatment. We know this evidence based treatment can lead to meaningful recovery. Without early and quality treatment, outcomes can be devastating including lasting damage to the brain, criminalization, victimization, homelessness, suicide, and violence.
The current mental health system in Connecticut does not offer appropriate continuity of care for people with SMI that are unable to understand their disorder. They are allowed to deteriorate to the point of “imminent danger” to be hospitalized – with no recovery in sight and become increasingly dangerous to themselves and others.
Finding positive solutions for SMI treatment – those suffering from SMI and their families -will impact 100,000 people in Connecticut.
At this time, 48 other states offer continuum of care programs to provide those with SMI a court-supervised, community-based program that helps individuals with SMI who struggle with voluntary treatment stay engaged in care following inpatient commitment. Many states call this Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT). In New York this is known as Kendra’s Law.
We, through the Connecticut Shattering Silence Coalition, believe our voices need to be heard in Hartford to ensure Connecticut residents suffering from SMI can access evidence-based continuum of care. Let’s have an open conversation about tools that have empirical evidence of success, including: assisted outpatient treatment programs, early use of gold standard medications (e.g. clozapine), education about SMI and psychosis, and family engagement. Let’s begin the conversation – one that calls on the community and Connecticut legislators to learn what compassionate intervention and treatment can look like.
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