I commend them for this approach. I have seen the veterans administration doing a similar outreach. If you give housing first it is frequently refused or they mess it up. You have to treat the mental illness first if you possibly can get them to accept treatment.
How awesome! I wish they also operated that way in Madison, Wisconsin, where my ill SIL is on the streets. She won’t go in for help, but maybe she would accept assistance from someone meeting her where she is.
I will say that the six-month injectable anti-psychotic is remarkable. The only caveat for my son is that it starts wearing off for him a few weeks early - it’s happened after each of the two shots he’s had. And wow, is it expensive - the sticker price for one six-month injection is over $26,000. Medicaid pays the cost for my son - I wonder how they fund the program in LA?
The other issue is that in most cases, the ill person needs the med consistently. If they get one shot and then don’t have another in time, they’re likely to decompensate.
I think that the shot is only the beginning of outreach. Even if the shot wears off before its time, it gives workers several months of outreach time to encourage the patient to accept placement in a more stable environment and apply for Medicaid etc. Even though the meds are super-expensive, they cost less than psychiatric hospitalizations and incarcerations.
That makes sense.
I’ve been working for a week and a half to order the med and arrange administration. But I just learned of a local pharmacy that has authorization to administer it, so maybe things will be easier in the future.
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