Albuquerque Mayor Chavez: "We're not waiting"

When the New Mexico Senate failed to act to pass Kendra’s Law in January, despite overwhelming support from the Governor, Senator Domenici, and a unanimous vote in the House, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez decided that he would not let inaction on the part of the state harm the people he was elected to protect.

"We're not waiting. The consequences are too severe," Chávez told the Albuquerque Journal on Sunday. "When the state fails to act, I am still charged with protecting the public in Albuquerque."

The Albuquerque Journal agrees. To the argument that you need more services before you can implement an assisted outpatient treatment law, the paper’s editorial board had this to say:

That's a pointless chicken-and-egg argument for families of the mentally ill, who say they can't wait for a new program or building. Their loved one is in crisis now. Perhaps once judges start ordering treatment, the state and the health-care community will finally find the wherewithal to assure its availability.

Unwilling to join in the hand-wringing as another Albuquerquean commits suicide by cop or kills a police officer on a mental-health pickup, and unwilling to join in the whining that there aren't enough treatment facilities so it's best to do nothing, Chávez has stepped up to help those who aren't able to help themselves.

Riveting new book on fight for treatment

Pete Earley had been a journalist for over 30 years and the author of many award-winning books. Yet he'd always been on the outside looking in.

Then his son Mike was declared mentally ill, and Earley was thrown headlong into the maze of contradictions, disparities, and catch-22s that is America's mental health system.

His new book, to be released April 20, is an intense look at what he found.

My son was so out-of-control that a nurse called hospital security. I was glad. Maybe now they will medicate him, I thought. But before the security guard arrived, Mike dashed outside, cursing loudly. I went after him. Meanwhile, the doctor told my ex-wife that it was not illegal for someone to be mentally ill in Virginia. But it was illegal for him to treat them unless they consented. There was nothing he could do.

"Even if he's psychotic?" she asked.

"Yes."

Mike couldn't forcibly be treated, the doctor elaborated, until he hurt himself or someone else. [Chapter 1]

Crazy is getting intense praise from people like Patty Duke, who calls the book a “godsend,” Bebe Moore Campbell, who says “CRAZY is both a clarion call for change and justice and an enthralling portrait of a father who refused to surrender,” and Senator Pete and Nancy Domenici, who said, “A book as riveting to read as it is important it be read …. Many of the tragic situations he uncovers were preventable. Maybe, with this book, they can be.”

Grading the States: New Mexico, C-

NAMI today released a state-by-state report card called “Grading the States.” It shows that most states are dramatically failing those with mental illnesses.

Initial reaction from U.S. Senator Pete Domenici on New Mexico’s dismal C minus:

"While our efforts so far have raised public awareness about mental health issues, it's clear that more needs to be done."

Domenici said the [New Mexico] Legislature should have passed Kendra's Law to allow a patient's family or doctors to obtain a court order requiring the patient to get treatment. The law is named for Kendra Webdale, a New Yorker killed by a schizophrenic.

Read Domenici's earlier statement on Kendra's Law.

Kendra's Law coming to Albuquerque

In New Mexico, Kendra’s Law was passed unanimously by the House – but the constitutionally mandated end of the session came before it could be called for a vote on the Senate floor. The law was widely supported – the science and data clearly registered with legislators more than the emotions and fear tactics of opponents.

And proponents like Mayor Chavez, Rep. Gutierrez, and Senator Domenici are clear about their intentions. Next week, Albuquerque Mayor Chavez will introduce Kendra’s Law for the city – and Rep. Gutierrez has promised to reintroduce the bill statewide the first day of the next session.

Stay tuned.

Consequences are too great to wait

As U.S. Senator Pete Domenici said in announcing his support for bringing an assisted outpatient treatment law to New Mexico:

"Some argue that it is wrong to force individuals to undergo treatment against their will. We argue that the tragic consequences are simply too monumental not to require help under certain circumstances. The success rate of the AOT program in other states has been well documented in both research and in practice."

We couldn’t agree more.

Top Policymakers Support AOT for New Mexico

New Mexico is one of only 8 states without an assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) law. That means someone who is too ill to make an informed treatment decision must be left untreated until they are in a crisis, posing a “likelihood of serious harm to themselves or others.”

Who supports bringing AOT to New Mexico? Republicans and Democrats alike have rallied behind the effort to update New Mexico's mental illness treatment laws.

• Rep. Joni Gutierrez (D-Las Cruces), who introduced the bill in the House, said that "existing New Mexico law essentially forces people who lack insight into their illness to hit rock bottom before they can be helped ... Forced deterioration is cruel and inhumane."
• U.S. Senator Pete Domenici has strongly endorsed the legislation, pointing out "Some argue that it is wrong to force individuals to undergo treatment against their will. We argue that the tragic consequences are simply too monumental not to require help under certain circumstances. The success rate of the AOT program in other states has been well documented in both research and in practice.”
• Governor Bill Richardson held a news conference to endorse the measure, saying "We need this law to prevent events like the tragic murders in Albuquerque last summer. We have to do everything we can to prevent this from happening to another family, another police officer, or another community, ever again.” [Read more about the news conference.]
• Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez is a strong supporter, noting that 20 percent of the 55 homicides in Albuquerque in 2005 were related to mental illness.
• The bill is supported by the state and local chapters of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI).

GET THE FACTS

What is assisted outpatient treatment?
Why does New Mexico need AOT?
How is it working in other states that are using it?
Why do some people refuse treatment for severe mental illnesses?

Among other things, assisted outpatient treatment:

• Reduces homelessness, psychiatric hospitalizations, arrests, incarceration, and harmful behavior, and improves treatment compliance
• Reduces caregiver strain
• Is retroactively endorsed by participants

Some individuals and organizations have raised concerns about assisted outpatient treatment. Most of these fears are based on misinformation or misunderstanding. Educate yourself about the myths surrounding assisted outpatient treatment.