NYTAC


	About the NY Treatment Advocacy Coalition

	New York Treatment Advocacy Coalition The New York Treatment Advocacy Coalition was founded by the Treatment Advocacy Center to address concerns specific to NYS. You can join and get updates on-line. The New York Treatment Advocacy Coalition is comprised of individuals and organizations united in support of reforming New York State’s assisted treatment laws. These individuals and organizations cross the political spectrum. Some are interested in reform because they (or a member of their family) suffer from a brain disorder, and they want to nurture and protect that individual from the illness. Other member individuals and organizations are working to preserve the quality of life in the community, and support reform to make the communities safer and more habitable. While these organizations are opposed on other issues, they have united on this one. The short-term goal of the NY Treatment Advocacy Coalition is to make Assisted Outpatient Treatment available throughout the state. Assisted Outpatient Treatment would apply to that small percentage of individuals with neurobiological disorders who have a history of non compliance that leads to deterioration to dangerousness. Assisted Outpatient Treatment is a court-ordered requirement to stay in treatment as a condition for living in the community. In other states, this has helped individuals (like New York’s Larry Hogue), who do well on medicines, but fail to take them once in the community. Following are some of the organizations which have called for reform of Assisted Treatment Laws in New York Greater NY Hospital Association Center for the Community Interest Victims Services Agency Visiting Nurses Service Office of the New York State Attorney General Kenmore Residence St. Francis Residence Project for Psychiatric Outreach to the Homeless The Bridge, Inc. Concerned Citizens for Creedmore NY Society for the Deaf National Alliance for the Mentally Ill NAMI/Metro-NYC NAMI/Buffalo and Erie County NAMI/Familya (Rockland County) Public Employees Federation How to join If you or your organization support the goals of the NY Treatment Advocacy Coalition, and want to be put on our e-mail list or mailing list, please send a written statement stating you support these goals to DJ Jaffe, CO-coordinator, NY Treatment Advocacy Coalition, Suite 4B, 250 West 27th St., NY NY 10001-5923. Include your name, address, organization, phone, fax, and e-mail address or fill out the on-line form. For more information, contact Jon Stanley at 212.366.0527 or stanleyj@psychlaws.org The NY Treatment Advocacy Coalition is funded wholly by donations from individuals who support it’s mission. NY-TAC does not accept donations from pharmaceutical companies or other organizations that may have a financial interest in the aims of the coalition. Nor does it accept government funding. As a result, the NY Treatment Advocacy Coalition is dependent on the generosity of it’s supporters. Donations are appreciated and checks should be made payable to “Treatment Advocacy Center” and sent to NY Treatment Advocacy Coalition, Suite 4B, 250 West 27th St., NY NY 10001-5923. For more information about the New York Treatment Advocacy Coalition, call 212.366.0527. [ To top of page ] [ To NY-TAC index ] History: The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill is the country’s largest organization comprised of individuals with neurobiological disorders and their families. It is a self-help, advocacy and support organization that works to help people with severe brain disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In 1995, the NAMI membership recognized that laws in many states got in the way of treating certain individuals with neurobiological disorders until they became “danger to self or others.” These laws were leading to many members of NAMI (or relatives of NAMI members) becoming homeless, needlessly psychotic, suicidal, and in extreme cases: criminal or violent. Many NAMI members felt the need to reform laws to allow treatment of these individuals before dangerousness, rather than after. This realization led to NAMI members adopting a comprehensive policy calling for reform of the laws. This policy was subsequently adopted by the NAMI Board of Directors and remains the guideposts for the Treatment Advocacy Center. In order to try to educate the public on the benefits of the NAMI Policy, NAMI found and launched the Treatment Advocacy Center in Arlington, VA in 1997. Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, the nation’s leading schizophrenia researcher was elected President and Mary Zdanowicz, Esq., agreed to serve as Executive Director. After founding and launching the Treatment Advocacy Center, NAMI and TAC determined that TAC’s mission could best be served if it was an independent 501(c)3. TAC obtained it’s own nonprofit status in 1998 and maintains close ties to the NAMI membership and other mental health advocates. But equally important, TAC quickly solicited and gained support outside the traditional ‘mental health’ advocates. Because while TAC was founded to help people with brain disorders it was soon realized that other organizations and advocates had an interest in the same issues, but for different reasons. For example, many community activists have long been concerned about the impact large numbers of homeless psychotic individuals has on their community. Police organizations, prison officials, criminal justice systems, block associations, transit authorities, and others have realized the benefits that would accrue to the community if we were allowed to treat individuals with brain disorders before they become ‘danger to self or others’ rather than waiting for after. The TAC Board of Directors was reconstituted to give equal representation to members of these ‘communitarian’ organizations. Today TAC remains committed to policies which serve both the needs of the ill and the communities they live in. TAC’s mission encompasses 1. educating the public about the need to reform laws that prevent treatment 2. educating the public about the need to maintain enough inpatient hospital capacity to serve those with brain disorders who can not survive safely in the community. In 1998, TAC helped launch the all-volunteer NY Treatment Advocacy Center to help reform laws in NY. (Posted 2/1999) [ To top of page ]

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	The information on /newyork is provided as a public service by the NY Treatment Advocacy Coalition. For more information, to join, or to make a donation, write to NY Treatment Advocacy Coalition, Suite 4B, 250 West 27th St., New York, NY 10001 or call (212) 366-0527. To support our efforts, make checks payable to Treatment Advocacy Center. To become a free member and receive updates, please send your name, (organization's name, if any) address, phone, fax, and e-mail address to the above address, along with the following signed statement: "I HAVE RECEIVED INFORMATION ABOUT THE NY TREATMENT ADVOCACY COALITION, SUPPORT IT'S MISSION, WANT TO RECEIVE UPDATES AND BE LISTED AS A MEMBER AND SUPPORTER." Unfortunately, requests for free memberships without this information and statement can not be honored. Contents of all material on the Coalition's web site is copyrighted and rights are reserved by the NY Treatment Advocacy Coalition unless otherwise indicated. However content may be reproduced, downloaded, disseminated, or transferred by nonprofit organizations that support our mission for educational purposes if correct attribution is made to the NY Treatment Advocacy Coalition. Please feel free to call with questions on neurobiological disorders, treatment laws or the benefits of medication compliance at 703.294.6001 or 212.366.0527. Send questions via e-mail to stanleyj@psychlaws.org. Media inquiries to press@treatmentadvocacycenter.org. Technical comments on the web site (www.psychlaws.org) can be sent to Webmaster@psychlaws.org.