Kay Rote Speaks at May Drug Policy Forum Meeting
by Dash Dennis
Many Oklahomans are unaware of the services available to them when
they are in need of assistance with mental health and/or substance
abuse issues for themselves, loved ones and family members. It is
important to remember that these citizens are consumers of these
services. One of the organizations, which endeavor to help and
advocate for these citizen consumers, is the Oklahoma Mental Health
Consumer Council. The OMHCC defines a consumer in the following way:
"A consumer is a present or former recipient of mental health services,
is or has been in need of treatment, or who, must deal with emotional
problems."
Kay Rote gave a presentation entitled “Mental Illness and Addictive
Disorders from the Consumer’s Standpoint” on May 14th at the monthly
meeting of the Drug Policy Forum of Oklahoma. Rote is currently the
Chief Executive and Financial Officer of the OMHCC. The OMHCC is the
first and only statewide consumer network of its kind in Oklahoma. The
Council is involved in many activities including education, legislative
issues, hospital monitoring advocacy and community outreach. Its
efforts have helped many with mental illness and/or addictive disorders
to see themselves as productive citizens within the community. It
seeks to restore dignity to fragile individuals who have felt societal
oppression.
One of the main points of this presentation is that mental illness
and/or addictive disorder must be treated medically, not as it often is
currently through incarceration and societal stigmatization. Mental
illness and/or addictive disorders are serious health issues that
should be treated as such. Recently, the advocacy work of OMHC has
been successful at curbing state budget cuts in these areas of services
and is running a successful rehabilitation program entitled WRAP, or
Wellness Recovery Action Program in several communities throughout the
state, of which Stillwater is one.
Oklahoma is one of seven states that have a Mental Health Consumer
Council. Rote says, “Oklahoma is in need of advocacy for substance
abuse and mental health issues. Often, it is the case that people with
these disorders end up in work camps or incarcerated, which has proven
ineffective in treating these disorders.” One of the policies which is
helping to alleviate this problem is the recent introduction of a
required ‘Dual Diagnosis Assessment’ which helps determine what
services would be most beneficial to the consumer. Often, people with
mental health problems are also afflicted with addictive disorders.
“We must treat the whole person, not just the disorder. In the past,
one of the major problems with treatment has been that one of these
disabilities would be treated without addressing the other, or left
completely untreated. The consumer must be an integral participant in
their treatment.” Rote said. By treating these consumers more
effectively, our state is saved a great deal of money. People who are
treated for their particular disorder are more likely to succeed in
their recovery and not return to the taxpayer-supported system of
services and institutions.
Rote continued by discussing Crisis Intervention Teams. C.I.T.
certified police officers are trained to de-escalate crisis situations
in which people with mental and/or addictive disorders are involved.
Frequently these situations can be resolved in a non-violent manner if
handled properly. Currently there are very few C.I.T. trained officers
in Oklahoma and this is a situation that the OMHCC hopes to remedy in
the near future with the help and cooperation of various citizen groups
and consumer involvement. By dispatching officers which are trained to
deal with these crisis situations, the public and consumers involved
will be safer, and treatment more likely.
Rote went on to stress the importance of consumers recognizing that
they are the most important participant in all aspects of their
treatment options and recovery. “When possible, let the consumer guide
their recovery by taking responsibility for themselves.” Rote said. To
this point, she mentioned that the OMHCC has been instrumental in
getting H.B. 1103 a vote in the legislature this session. H.B. 1103
would allow for a patient advocate in cases where the consumer is in a
crisis situation or for any other reason unable to make rational
decisions concerning their treatment. It would also require a
mandatory explanation of the consumer’s rights after said consumer has
regained their composure or de-escalated from their crisis situation,
in order to make decisions concerning their treatment.
Rote also made the point that often people with addictive disorders
are misunderstood. In order to assist in understanding this disorder,
she explained that people with addictive disorders find it impossible
to function without the use of a drug, whether it is a cup of coffee
(caffeine), cigarettes (nicotine), or an illegal substance such as
cocaine. Most important in their recovery is first, recognizing that
they have an illness which can be treated, and secondly to participate
in that treatment and an understanding of their illness.
For more information on the Oklahoma Mental Health Consumer Council
you can call 1-888-424-1305 or 1-405-840-0607. The Drug Policy Forum
of Oklahoma meets at the Strode Hospitality Center at 7th and Duck on
the second Wednesday of the month and all are welcome. DPFOK may be
contacted at 1-405-377-2524.
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